Component suction device, component mounting apparatus and component mounting method

ABSTRACT

A component suction device includes a suction nozzle for sucking and holding a component, a nozzle turning device for holding the suction nozzle and turning the suction nozzle, and a nozzle up-and-down device which is located above the nozzle turning device and which is connected to the suction nozzle for moving up and down the suction nozzle along an axial direction of the suction nozzle.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a component suction device for suckingand holding a component, which is to be mounted onto a circuit-formingbody such as a board, and then turning the component to itsmounting-posture angle before mounting the component onto thecircuit-forming body, also relates to a component mounting apparatusequipped with the component suction device, and further relates to acomponent mounting method for sucking and holding a component, which isto be mounted onto a circuit-forming body such as a board, and thenturning the component to its mounting-posture angle before mounting thecomponent onto the circuit-forming body.

BACKGROUND ART

As this type of component suction device, those of various structureshave been known conventionally. For example, as shown in FIG. 22, therehas been provided a component mounting apparatus equipped with amounting head 307 having as component suction devices, for example, tennozzles 304 that are turnable together, and selectively up-and-downmovable. This mounting head 307 is moved to a component feed deviceside, sucks and holds components received from component feed positionsof individual component cassettes of component supply devices, thenmoves to a recognition device to recognize postures of thesesucked-and-held components. Thereafter, the mounting head 307 moves to aboard onto which the components are to be mounted, and based on arecognition result, mounts the components at mounting positions of theboard.

In this case, the mounting head 307 is so designed that for adjustmentof turning postures of components by turning individual nozzles 304about their axes, the ten nozzles 304, . . . , 304 are simultaneouslyturned to the same angle by driving one turn-actuating motor 311. Also,for suction and mounting of components, only specified nozzles 304 outof the ten nozzles 304, . . . , 304 are selectively moved down to aspecified extent by driving cylinders 310 based on switching of valvesso as to be protruded lower than other nozzles, and then the mountinghead 307 in its entirety is moved down by drive of a up-and-down motor312.

However, with component suction devices of the above structure, therehas been a demand for making it possible to turn the nozzlesindependently of one another in a case where a shorter mounting cycletime is desired. That is, when the nozzles are turned after componentrecognition and before component mounting, all the nozzles need to beturned at once to a correction angle of a nozzle holding a componentwhich is to be next mounted, and after mounting by this nozzle, all thenozzles need to be turned at once to a correction angle of a nozzleholding a component which is to be next mounted, followed by mountingwith the nozzle. Thus, it has been a case that a mounting operation isenabled only after each nozzle is turned and corrected. It has beenimpossible to turn all the nozzles to their respective desired angles atthe same time.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to solve theabove-described issues and provide a component suction device capable ofturning a plurality of component suction nozzles individually up anddown and about their axes, respectively.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

In accomplishing these and other objects, according to a first aspect ofthe present invention, there is provided a component suction device forsucking a component which is to be mounted onto a circuit-forming body,comprising:

a suction nozzle for sucking and holding the component;

a nozzle turning device for holding the suction nozzle and turning thesuction nozzle; and

a nozzle up-and-down device which is located above the nozzle turningdevice and which is connected to the suction nozzle to serve for movingup and down the suction nozzle along an axial direction of the suctionnozzle.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provideda component suction device according to the first aspect, wherein thenozzle up-and-down device is implemented by an up-and-down linear motorfor moving up and down the nozzle turning device along the axialdirection of the suction nozzle, and wherein the nozzle turning deviceis moved up and down by driving the up-and-down linear motor, wherebythe suction nozzle is moved up and down along the axial direction of thesuction nozzle.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provideda component suction device according to the second aspect, wherein acoil is up-and-down movable relative to a magnetic-circuit formingmember fixed to a mechanism forming member of the linear motor, andwherein the nozzle turning device is fixed to a support member thatsupports the coil.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provideda component mounting apparatus comprising a mounting head having aplurality of component suction devices as described in any one of thefirst to third aspects, wherein

nozzle turning devices of the plurality of component suction devices aredriven individually and independently of one another, and nozzleup-and-down devices of the plurality of component suction devices aredriven individually and independently of one another.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provideda component mounting apparatus comprising:

a mounting head having a plurality of component suction devices asdescribed in any one of the first to third aspects; and

a main controller for controlling operations of: turning individualcomponents, which have been sucked and held by suction nozzles,respectively, of the plurality of component suction devices, to placingposture angles of the individual components by drive of the nozzleturning devices; thereafter, recognizing postures of the individualcomponents that have been sucked and held by the suction nozzles andturned to their placing posture angles; correcting postures based onrecognition results; and thereafter mounting the individual componentsonto the circuit-forming body.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provideda component mounting apparatus according to the fifth aspect, whereinthe main controller controls to simultaneously turn the individualcomponents sucked and held by the suction nozzles, respectively, toplacing posture angles of the individual components by drive of thenozzle turning devices.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, there isprovided a component mounting apparatus comprising:

a mounting head having a plurality of component suction devices asdescribed in any one of the first to third aspects; and

a main controller for controlling operations of: simultaneously turningindividual components, which have been sucked and held by suctionnozzles, respectively, of the plurality of component suction devices, toplacing posture angles of the individual components by drive of thenozzle turning devices; thereafter, placing the individual components,which have been turned to their placing posture angles, onto thecircuit-forming body.

According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, there isprovided a component mounting apparatus comprising:

a mounting head having a plurality of component suction devices asdescribed in any one of the first to third aspects; and

a main controller for controlling operation of: immediately aftersucking and holding individual components by suction nozzles of theplurality of component suction devices, turning the individualcomponents to their respective placing posture angles by drive of nozzleturning devices of the component suction devices individually andindependently of one another; and thereafter placing the individualcomponents, which have been turned to their placing posture angles, ontothe circuit-forming body.

According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, there is provideda component mounting method for sucking and holding individualcomponents, which are to be mounted onto a circuit-forming body, by aplurality of suction nozzles, and thereafter placing these sucked andheld components onto the circuit-forming body, the method comprising:

turning the individual components, which have been sucked and heldrespectively by the suction nozzles, to placing posture angles of thecomponents individually and independently of one another;

thereafter, recognizing postures of the individual components that havebeen sucked and held by the suction nozzles and turned to theirrespective placing posture angles; and

thereafter, correcting the postures based on recognition results andthen placing the individual components onto the circuit-forming body.

According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, there is provideda component mounting method according to the ninth aspect, wherein inturning the individual components, which have been sucked and heldrespectively by the suction nozzles, to placing posture angles of thecomponents individually and independently of one another, thecomponents, which have been sucked and held respectively by theplurality of suction nozzles, are simultaneously turned to the placingposture angles of the individual components.

According to an eleventh aspect of the present invention, there isprovided a component mounting method according to the ninth aspect,wherein in turning the individual components, which have been sucked andheld respectively by the suction nozzles, to placing posture angles ofthe components individually and independently of one another, theindividual components are turned to their respective placing postureangles individually and independently of one another immediately aftersucking and holding of the components by the suction nozzles.

According to a twelfth aspect of the present invention, there isprovided a component mounting apparatus comprising:

a mounting head having a plurality of component suction devices asdescribed in any one of the first to third aspects;

a main controller which is located on a component-mounting-apparatusmain body and which controls component mounting operation;

a head controller which is located on the mounting head and connected tothe main controller to perform one-to-one asynchronous communications inserial connection with the main controller in association withdrive-control related information; and

a plurality of servo drivers which are located on the mounting head andconnected to the head controller and which perform one-to-multisynchronous communications in serial connection with the head controllerin association with drive-control related information, and thus driveand control nozzle up-and-down devices of the component suction devicesbased on resulting drive-control related information obtained from thehead controller.

According to a thirteenth aspect of the present invention, there isprovided a component mounting apparatus according to the twelfth aspect,wherein

the plurality of servo drivers have addresses different from oneanother; and

the drive-control related information comprises: drive-amountinformation containing addresses of the servo drivers, and informationas to drive amounts for the nozzle up-and-down devices or the nozzleturning devices; and an operation start signal to be communicated at atime different from that of communicating the drive-amount information,wherein after the drive-control related information has been received bythe servo drivers having the addresses, the servo drivers, uponreceiving the operation start signal, exert control so that a nozzleup-and-down device or a nozzle turning device is driven based on thedrive-amount information.

According to a fourteenth aspect of the present invention, there isprovided a component mounting apparatus according to any one of thefourth to eighth aspects, wherein after the components are sucked andheld by their corresponding suction nozzles of the plurality ofcomponent suction devices, and before component recognition is started,the nozzle up-and-down devices are driven to move the suction nozzles upand down so that bottom faces of the individual components are aligned.

According to a fifteenth aspect of the present invention, there isprovided a component suction device for sucking a component which is tobe mounted onto a circuit-forming body, comprising:

a drive shaft which is up-and-down movable and rotatable about its axis;

a suction nozzle which is fitted at a lower end of the drive shaft so asto be relatively non-rotatable and up-and-down relatively immovable, andwhich can suck and hold the component;

a θ-turn driving motor which is connected to an upper portion of thedrive shaft so as to be up-and-down relatively movable and relativelynon-rotatable, and which turns the drive shaft about its axis; and

an up-and-down driver device which has a first coupling sectionconnected to the drive shaft up-and-down relatively immovably andrelatively rotatably, and which drives up and down the first couplingsection to thereby drive the drive shaft up and down.

According to a sixteenth aspect of the present invention, there isprovided a component suction device according to the fifteenth aspect,wherein there are plural drive shafts and each of the drive shafts isequipped with an up-and-down driver device and an θ-turn driving motor,and wherein array pitches of the up-and-down driver devices and theθ-turn driving motors are equal to an array pitch of the suction nozzlesand further equal to an array pitch of a plurality of component feedsections of a component feed device which feeds components to be suckedand held by the suction nozzles.

According to a seventeenth aspect of the present invention, there isprovided a component suction device according to the fifteenth orsixteenth aspect, wherein the up-and-down driver device is a linearmotor.

According to an eighteenth aspect of the present invention, there isprovided a component suction device according to any one of thefifteenth to seventeenth aspects, wherein the θ-turn driving motor is abrushless motor.

According to a nineteenth aspect of the present invention, there isprovided a component suction device according to any one of thefifteenth to eighteenth aspects, further comprising a suction controlvalve for controlling suction operation of the nozzle.

According to a twentieth aspect of the present invention, there isprovided a component suction device according to the eighteenth aspect,wherein the brushless motor comprises:

a rotor which is supported so as to be axially turnable and which ismagnetized to have a plurality of peripheral poles; and a stator inwhich a fore end portion of teeth having a coil wound around a toothwinding portion of each tooth is opposed to an outer periphery of therotor, so that the rotor is turned along with a rotating magnetic fieldof the stator, and wherein

the fore end portion of each of the teeth of the stator is shaped into acircular-arc surface extending along the outer periphery of the rotor,and the tooth winding portions are formed parallel to one another.

According to a twenty-first aspect of the present invention, there isprovided a component suction device according to the twentieth aspect,wherein in the brushless motor, the stator is so formed that thecircular-arc surfaces of the fore end portions of the teeth confrontingthe outer periphery of the rotor have a symmetrical slot pitch.

According to a twenty-second aspect of the present invention, there isprovided a component suction device according to the twentieth ortwenty-first a spect, wherein in the brushless motor, the stator has athickness along an axis of the rotor and has such a flat shape along anend face of the rotor that a first length formed by interconnectingpoints of the stator corresponding to 0° and 180° about the axis of therotor is shorter than a second length formed by interconnecting pointsof the stator corresponding to 90° and 270° about the axis of the rotor.

According to a twenty-third aspect of the present invention, there isprovided a component suction device according to the twenty-secondaspect, wherein in the brushless motor,

the stator is formed of first and second stator blocks which contacteach other at a boundary of connection between the points of the statorcorresponding to 0° and 180° about the axis of the rotor.

According to a twenty-fourth aspect of the present invention, there isprovided a component suction device according to the twenty-thirdaspect, wherein in the brushless motor,

each of the first stator block and second stator block is composed of aplurality of tooth blocks which are joined together so that a magneticpath is formed by base end portions of their tooth winding portions.

According to a twenty-fifth aspect of the present invention, there isprovided a component suction device according to the twenty-fourthaspect, wherein in the brushless motor,

the stator is formed of a single stator block.

According to a twenty-sixth aspect of the present invention, there isprovided a component suction device according to the twenty-fourthaspect, wherein in the brushless motor,

the stator has

grooves which serve as the tooth winding portions, and which are formedthicknesswise in a side surface of the stator crossing a direction ofthe first length, wherein

an outermost peripheral surface of the coil wound on the grooves ispositioned so as to be flush with the side surface or inward of the sidesurface.

According to a twenty-seventh aspect of the present invention, there isprovided a component suction device according to the seventeenth aspect,wherein the linear motor includes:

a plurality of frame coils provided inside a cylindrical outer yoke on astationary side;

an inner yoke having a plurality of teeth passing through the coils, anda magnetic communicating portion formed at at least one end of theteeth; and

magnets provided on both surfaces of each tooth so that faces of onetooth opposed to a respective frame coil have a single polarity, whilefaces of another tooth opposed to another frame coil has a singledifferent polarity, wherein

a magnetic flux radiated from a specific magnet, out of the magnets,flows to an adjacent tooth via the outer yoke, passes through themagnetic communicating portion, and flows through the tooth on which thespecific magnet is provided, and thus flows back to the specific magnet,and wherein

with an electric current supplied to the frame coils, a movable sidecomposed of the magnets and the inner yoke moves longitudinally of theteeth.

According to a twenty-eighth aspect of the present invention, there isprovided a component suction device according to the twenty-seventhaspect, wherein in the linear motor, the inner yoke is U-shaped.

According to a twenty-ninth aspect of the present invention, there isprovided a component suction device according to the twenty-seventhaspect, wherein in the linear motor, the frame coil has an opening facehaving such a rectangular shape that a length of its side line oppositeto the magnets is longer than a length of its span section.

According to a thirtieth aspect of the present invention, there isprovided a component suction device according to the seventeenth aspect,wherein the linear motor includes:

an inner yoke having a plurality of teeth in which a magneticcommunicating portion is formed at at least one end thereof;

an outer yoke which externally surrounds the plurality of teeth;

magnets provided opposite to both faces of the teeth inside the outeryoke so that faces of the magnets opposed to the teeth are of a singlepole and faces opposed to their respective adjoining teeth are differentin polarity from each other; and

coils wound on individual teeth of the inner yoke , wherein

a magnetic flux radiated from a specific magnet, out of the magnets,flows to an adjacent tooth via the outer yoke, passes through themagnetic communicating portion, and flows through the tooth opposing thespecific magnet, and thus flows back to the specific magnet, and wherein

with an electric current supplied to the coil, a movable side composedof the magnets and the outer yoke moves in a longitudinal direction ofthe teeth.

According to a thirty-first aspect of the present invention, there isprovided a component suction device according to the thirtieth aspect,wherein in the linear motor, the teeth each have such a rectangularshape that a length of its side line opposite to the magnets is longerthan a length of a connection side connecting opposite side lines toeach other.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

These and other aspects and features of the present invention willbecome clear from the following description taken in conjunction withthe preferred embodiments thereof with reference to the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a component suction deviceaccording to a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an overall schematic perspective view of a component mountingapparatus on which the component suction device according to the firstembodiment of the present invention is mounted;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a mounting head of the componentmounting apparatus equipped with the component suction device;

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a relationship between a maincontroller, which is a control section of the component mountingapparatus, and other devices or members;

FIGS. 5A and 5B are an exploded perspective view of a nozzle up-and-downdevice, and a partial sectional view of a nozzle turning device in thecomponent suction device;

FIG. 6 is a timing chart of X- and Y-directional movements of themounting head, up-and-down operations and turning operations of nozzles,and the like in the component mounting apparatus of the firstembodiment;

FIG. 7 is a flowchart of X- and Y-directional movements of the mountinghead, up-and-down operations and turning operations of the nozzles, orother mounting operations in the component mounting apparatus of thefirst embodiment;

FIG. 8 is a timing chart of X- and Y-directional movements of themounting head, up-and-down operations and turning operations of nozzles,and the like in a component mounting apparatus of the prior art;

FIG. 9 is a flowchart of X- and Y-directional movements of the mountinghead, up-and-down operations and turning operations of the nozzles, orother mounting operations in the component mounting apparatus of theprior art;

FIG. 10 is an explanatory view showing a state in which bottom faces ofcomponents sucked and held by ten nozzles are adjusted to a specifiedheight in the component mounting apparatus of the first embodiment;

FIGS. 11A, 11B, and 11C are an explanatory views showing a relationshipamong the main controller, head controller, servo driver, motor, andmemory, an explanatory view of information stored in a componentdatabase, and an explanatory view of component-feed-cassette arrangementdata, respectively;

FIG. 12 is a flowchart of another example of X- and Y-directionalmovements of the mounting head, up-and-down operations and turningoperations of the nozzles, or other mounting operations in the componentmounting apparatus of the first embodiment;

FIG. 13 is an explanatory view of the control section composed of themain controller, the head controller, servo drivers, and the like in thecomponent mounting apparatus of the first embodiment;

FIG. 14 is a schematic explanatory view of the control section composedof the main controller, the head controller, the servo drivers, and thelike in the component mounting apparatus of the first embodiment;

FIG. 15 is a schematic explanatory view of a control section composed ofa main controller, an NC board, servo drivers, and the like in thecomponent mounting apparatus of the prior art;

FIG. 16 is a detailed explanatory view of the control section composedof the head controller, servo drivers, and the like in the componentmounting apparatus of the first embodiment;

FIGS. 17A and 17B are an explanatory view showing a state thatadjustment to a recognition height H01 cannot be achieved at componentrecognition by a mounting head, and an explanatory view showing adistortion occurring due to thermal changes of nozzles or the like inrepresentation of solid-line nozzle and dotted-line nozzle,respectively, in the component mounting apparatus of the prior art;

FIG. 18 is an explanatory view showing a state in which differences incomponent thickness are absorbed by contracting, to extents of componentthickness differences, springs provided for individual nozzles of themounting head, in the component mounting apparatus of the prior art;

FIG. 19 is an overall schematic perspective view of a component mountingapparatus with a component suction device mounted thereon according to asecond embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 20 is a partial perspective view of the component mountingapparatus of FIG. 19;

FIG. 21 is a flowchart of X- and Y-directional movements of a mountinghead, Y-axis directional movement of a Y-table, up-and-down operationsand turning operations of or other mounting operations in the componentmounting apparatus of the second embodiment;

FIG. 22 is a perspective view of a prior-art mounting head;

FIGS. 23A and 23B are explanatory views for explaining aplacing-position shift during turning of a nozzle in cases where thenozzle is not subjected to effects of heat or the like, and where thenozzle is, respectively;

FIG. 24 is a front view of a mounting head equipped with ten componentsuction devices according to a third embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 25 is a perspective view of the component suction device of FIG.24;

FIG. 26 is a partly sectional side view of a component suction device ofFIG. 24;

FIG. 27 is a front view of a drive shaft of the component suction deviceof FIG. 24;

FIG. 28 is a sectional view of a spline shaft part of the drive shaft ofthe component suction device of FIG. 24;

FIG. 29 is a partly sectional side view of the component suction deviceat an upper-end position of a nozzle in the component suction device ofFIG. 24;

FIG. 30 is a partly sectional side view of the component suction deviceat a lower-end position of the nozzle in the component suction device ofFIG. 24;

FIG. 31 is a front view of a voice coil motor of the component suctiondevice of FIG. 24;

FIG. 32 is a left side view of the voice coil motor of the componentsuction device of FIG. 31;

FIG. 33 is a sectional view of the voice coil motor of the componentsuction device of FIG. 31, taken along line B—B of FIG. 31;

FIG. 34 is a sectional view of the voice coil motor of the componentsuction device of FIG. 31, taken along line V—V of FIG. 32;

FIG. 35 is a perspective view of a prior-art mounting head forexplaining life of bearings;

FIGS. 36A and 36B are explanatory views of turning operations of nozzlesof the prior-art mounting head for explaining the life of bearings,respectively;

FIG. 37 is a perspective view of a mounting head of the third embodimentfor explaining life of bearings;

FIGS. 38A and 38B are explanatory views of turning operations of anozzle of the mounting head of the third embodiment for explaining thelife of bearings, respectively;

FIG. 39 is an exploded perspective view of a mechanical part of abrushless motor which is a first example of a θ-turn driving motoraccording to the third embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 40 is a perspective view of an assembly of the first-examplebrushless motor of FIG. 39;

FIG. 41 is an enlarged sectional view of the first-example brushlessmotor of FIG. 39;

FIG. 42 is an enlarged sectional view showing a concrete configurationexample of the first-example brushless motor of FIG. 39;

FIG. 43 is a perspective view of a stator of a brushless motor which isa second example of the θ-turn driving motor according to the thirdembodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 44A and 44B are an exploded perspective views of a stator block ofthe brushless motor that is a third example of the θ-turn driving motoraccording to the third embodiment of the present invention, and anenlarged sectional view of the third example, respectively;

FIG. 45 is an explanatory view of a prior-art brushless motor;

FIGS. 46A and 46B are explanatory views of a coreless brushless motoraccording to the prior art, respectively;

FIG. 47 is an exploded perspective view of a linear motor which is afirst example of an up-and-down driver device according to the thirdembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 48 is a perspective view showing an assembled state of thefirst-example linear motor;

FIG. 49 is an enlarged sectional view showing a part of an assembledstate of the first-example linear motor;

FIG. 50 is an explanatory view showing a state of magnetic fluxes of thefirst-example linear motor;

FIG. 51 is an appearance perspective view of a linear motor which is asecond example of the up-and-down driver device according to the thirdembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 52 is an explanatory view showing a state of magnetic fluxes of thesecond-example linear motor;

FIG. 53 is a plan view of a voice-coil type linear motor according tothe prior art;

FIG. 54 is a plan view of a three-phase type linear motor according tothe prior art; and

FIG. 55 is a side view of another example of the linear motor accordingto the prior art.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Before description of the present invention proceeds, it is to be notedthat like parts are designated by like reference numerals throughout theaccompanying drawings.

A component suction device 15 according to a first embodiment of thepresent invention is, as shown in FIG. 1, a component suction device forsucking a component 20 which is to be mounted onto a circuit-formingbody, for example, a board 2. The component suction device 15 includes asuction nozzle 10 for sucking and holding the component 20, a nozzleturning device 25 for holding the suction nozzle 10 and turning thesuction nozzle 10, and a nozzle up-and-down device 26 which is disposedabove the nozzle turning device 25 and connected to the suction nozzle10, and which moves the suction nozzle 10 up and down along an axis ofthe suction nozzle 10.

The term “circuit-forming body” herein refers to circuit boards such asresin boards, paper-phenol boards, ceramic boards, glass epoxy boards,and film boards, circuit boards such as single-layer boards ormulti-layer boards, and objects with circuits formed thereon such ascomponents, casings, and frames. Also, the term “component” includeselectronic components, mechanical components, optical components, andthe like.

FIG. 2 shows an overall schematic perspective view of a componentmounting apparatus which has two mounting heads 4 equipped with tencomponent suction devices 15, . . . , 15 as described above and whichperform component mounting operations, and FIG. 3 shows a perspectiveview of one mounting head 4. This component mounting apparatus has twomounting sections, a front-side mounting section MU1 that is locatedobliquely left-downward in FIG. 2 and a rear-side mounting section MU2that is located obliquely right-upward, wherein these individualmounting sections are enabled to perform component mounting operationssuch as component suction, recognition, and placement independently ofone another for each board. It is noted that the component mountingoperations refer to, for example, component suction, component carriage,component recognition, component placement and the like.

In FIG. 2, reference numeral 1 denotes a loader for carrying in acircuit board 2-0 (circuit boards are denoted by numeral 2 when referredto regardless of their positions, and boards of specific positions aredenoted by numerals 2-0, 2-1, 2-2, 2-3 etc.), and numeral 11 denotes anunloader for carrying out a circuit board 2-3. Numeral 3 denotes a boardcarrying-and-holding device as an example of circuit-forming-bodyholding device which is provided in each mounting section and whichcarries and holds the board 2 carried in from the loader 1, numeral 4denotes a mounting head which is provided in each mounting section andhas the component suction devices 15 and equipped with a plurality of,for example, ten component suction nozzles 10 that suck and hold thecomponents 20. The component suction nozzles 10 are replaceable. Numeral5 denotes an X-Y robot which is provided in each mounting section andwhich positions a respective mounting head 4 to a specified position inX- and Y-directions, which are two perpendicular directions within acomponent-mounting working area, and numeral 7 denotes a nozzle stationwhich is provided near a component feed device 8A in an individualcomponent-mounting working area of each mounting section and whichaccommodates therein a plurality of kinds of component suction nozzles10 suited to a plurality of kinds of components and, as required,replaces these nozzles with nozzles 10 set on mounting head 4. Numerals8A, 8B denote component-parts-cassette type component feed devices whichare provided at a shallow-side, i.e. front-side, end portion and adeep-side, i.e. rear-side, end portion, respectively, of thecomponent-mounting working areas with respect to an operator, and whichhave a plurality of component feed cassettes 80 for accommodating thecomponents 20, which are to be mounted onto the board 2, individuallyinto, for example, component-accommodation recessed portions of carriertapes, and for feeding the components 20 one by one to component feedpositions 89. Numeral 8C denotes a tray type component feed device whichis provided near each component feed device 8B and which accommodatesthereon tray components accommodated and held in a tray-like manner,which are to be mounted onto the board 2, and numeral 9 denotes atwo-dimensional or three-dimensional recognition camera which isprovided in vicinity of each component feed device 8A and on a near sideof a center of a respective component-mounting working area, and whichpicks up suction posture images of the components 20 sucked by thenozzles 10 of each mounting head 4.

The X-Y robot 5 is constituted as follows. Two Y-axis drive sections 6a, 6 a of the X-Y robot 5 are fixedly set at front-and-rear end edges ofcomponent-mounting working areas 200 of the individual mounting sectionson a mounting apparatus base 16, and two X-axis drive sections 6 b, 6 care extended over these two Y-axis drive sections 6 a, 6 a so as to bemovable independently in the Y-axis direction and capable of avoidingcollisions, where the mounting head 4 that moves within the front-sidehalf mounting area of the component-mounting working area is disposed onthe X-axis drive section 6 b so as to be movable in the X-axisdirection, while the mounting head 4 that moves within the rear-sidehalf mounting area of the component-mounting working area is disposed onthe X-axis drive section 6 c. Each of the Y-axis drive sections 6 a, 6 aand the X-axis drive sections 6 b, 6 c, is constructed from X-Y robotmotors 6 y, 6 x, ball screws that are driven forward and reverse by themotors 6 y, 6 x, and advanceable and retreatable members in whichmembers to be moved are screwed with the ball screws and which are movedby forward and reverse rotation of the ball screws based on forward andreverse rotational drive of the motors 6 y, 6 x. The motors 6 y, 6 x aredrive-controlled by an X-Y robot controller 1010 which is controlled bya later-described main controller 1000.

Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the main controller 1000 for controllingboard carriage-in and carriage-out, component holding, componentrecognition, component placement operations and the like is provided,and the component feed devices 8A, 8B, the component feed cassettes 80,the mounting heads 4, the recognition cameras 9, the boardcarrying-and-holding devices 3, the X-Y robots 5, a memory 910, theloader 1, the unloader 11, and the like are connected. In the memory 910are stored NC data showing mounting programs as to, for example, whichcomponents are mounted, to which position and in which order thesecomponents are mounted, arrangement programs as to, for example, whichcomponents are arranged on which component feed members, or arrangementinformation as to, for example, which components have been arranged onwhich component feed members, component libraries of componentinformation as to configuration, height, and the like of individualcomponents, board information as to configuration of individual boards,and other information as to configuration of component suction nozzlesand a board carriage position for each individual boardcarrying-and-holding device 3, or the like.

As a basic operation of this component mounting apparatus, under controlof the main controller 1000, the front- and rear-side boardcarrying-and-holding devices 3 are driven to be moved toward a center sothat the front- and rear-side board carrying-and-holding devices 3 arearranged so as to be connected in line with the loader 1 and theunloader 11, and thereafter, a circuit board 2-2 is carried in from theloader 1 via the front-side board carrying-and-holding device 3 to therear-side board carrying-and-holding device 3, and also circuit board2-1 is carried in from the loader 1 to the front-side boardcarrying-and-holding device 3, with individual circuit boards 2-1, 2-2being held by the front- and rear-side board carrying-and-holdingdevices 3. After that, by drive of the front- and rear-side boardcarrying-and-holding devices 3, 3, the boards are moved from center-sideboard carrying-and-holding positions to specified placing positions nearthe component feed devices 8A, respectively, as shown in FIG. 2.

Next, under control of the main controller 1000, each group of tensuction nozzles 10 is moved to, for example, suction preparatorypositions above individual component feed positions 89 for ten componentfeed cassettes 80, respectively, by a respective mounting head 4 basedon individual drive of the X-Y robots 5.

Next, each group of ten suction nozzles 10 moves down simultaneouslyfrom the suction preparatory positions toward the component feedpositions 89 corresponding thereto, sucks and holds ten components 20located at the ten component feed positions 89, respectively,collectively and simultaneously or individually, and then moves again upto the suction preparatory positions.

Next, by individual drive of the X-Y robots 5, the suction nozzles 10move from the suction preparatory positions toward the recognitioncameras 9, respectively, wherein while each group of ten suction nozzles10 moves above its corresponding recognition camera 9, the recognitioncameras 9 individually recognize positions, postures, and configurationsof a corresponding ten components 20.

Next, after completion of this recognition, based on recognition resultsand under control of the main controller 1000, individual posture orposition corrections of the components 20 are performed, as required, byperforming X- and Y-directional drive control of the mounting heads 4(drive control of the X-Y robot motors 6 y, 6 x by the X-Y robotcontroller 1010) or θ-rotation drive control of individual suctionnozzles 10 (drive control of a θ-axis motor 25 m by a servo driver1002). Thereafter, the components 20 are set to specified mountingpositions of the boards 2, respectively.

Meanwhile, the component suction devices 15, in which the nozzle turningdevice 25 and the nozzle up-and-down device 26 of each suction nozzle 10are provided in the same unit, each have the following constitution indetail.

First, as shown in FIG. 5A, the nozzle up-and-down device 26 isimplemented by an up-and-down linear motor 32 for moving up and down thenozzle turning device 25 along the axis of the suction nozzle 10. Thenozzle turning device 25 is moved up and down by driving the up-and-downlinear motor 32, by which the suction nozzle 10 is moved up and downalong the axis of the suction nozzle 10.

More specifically, in the nozzle up-and-down device 26, as shown in FIG.5A, a magnetic-circuit forming member 26 a made of iron and magnets in arectangular frame shape is fixed on a surface of a plate-shapedmechanism-forming member 26 b of aluminum alloy or the like, and anup-and-down movable linear motor coil 26 c within the magnetic-circuitforming member 26 a is disposed so as to be movable in an up-and-downdirection. The movable linear motor coil 26 c is fixed and supported ona surface of the mechanism-forming member 26 b by being sandwichedbetween upper portions of a pair of support members 26 s which arelinearly guided in the up-and-down direction by linear guides 26 g.θ-axis motor 25 m is fixed and supported at a lower portion of thesepaired support members 26 s by being sandwiched from both sides thereby.In this arrangement, preferably, a center line of the θ-axis motor 25 mis placed at a center of a thrust imparted by the linear motor 32 sothat occurrence of an unnecessary moment is prevented during up-and-downoperations, by which swings due to the up-and-down operations areprevented. Therefore, the magnetic-circuit forming member 26 a and thelinear motor coil 26 c constitute the up-and-down linear motor 32,wherein by an electric current supplied to the linear motor coil 26 c,the linear motor coil 26 c is moved up and down while guided by thelinear guides 26 g within the magnetic-circuit forming member 26 a, bywhich the θ-axis motor 25 m coupled to the linear motor coil 26 c withthe pair of support members 26 s is moved up and down integrally withthe linear motor coil 26 c. It is noted that reference numeral 26 ddenotes a cover of the up-and-down linear motor 32. Also, an up-and-downamount detection sensor for detecting an up-and-down amount of thelinear motor coil 26 c or the support members 26 s is provided, so thata detected up-and-down amount is fed back to a later-described servodriver 1002 that controls drive of the up-and-down linear motor 32.

The nozzle turning device 25, as shown in FIG. 5B, supports the suctionnozzle 10 by up-and-down bearings 25 b so that the suction nozzle 10 isrotatable, and an encoder 25 e is provided at an upper end of thesuction nozzle 10, wherein a current position of the suction nozzle 10with respect to an origin position in its turning direction is detectedby the encoder 25 e, and a detected current position is fed back to theservo driver 1002 that controls drive of the θ-axis motor 25 m. Acylindrical magnet 25 r is fixed on a central-part outer periphery ofthe suction nozzle 10, and a stator 25 s is fixed to a casing 25 c ofthe nozzle turning device 25, wherein the cylindrical magnet 25 r andthe stator 25 s constitute the θ-axis motor 25 m. A suction dischargechamber 25 d sandwiched by packings 25 a is formed at an upper portionof the suction nozzle 10, and an upper-end opening 10 c of the suctionnozzle 10 is kept in communication with the suction discharge chamber 25d at all times so as to be coupled to an air feed/discharge passage 25 pvia the suction discharge chamber 25 d. By drive of an airfeed/discharge device 50 which is connected to the air feed/dischargepassage 25 p by being coupled to the air feed/discharge passage 25 p viathe suction discharge chamber 25 d, and which is composed of a vacuumpump, a compressed-air feed device, and the like, suction and discharge(blow) operations of the suction nozzle 10 can be performed, whennecessary, regardless of a turning position of the suction nozzle 10 by,for example, performing opening and closing operations and suction anddischarge (blow) switching operations by valves 90 shown in FIG. 16.

Next, a variety of examples of operations of ten component suctiondevices 15 are explained. First described is a case where ten nozzles 10move down independently, one by one, to perform component suction.

In this case, typically, a first component suction device 15-1 and asecond component suction device 15-2 are described with reference toFIG. 3. After component feed from the component feed device 8A or 8B bysuction nozzle 10-1 of the first component suction device 15-1 and acomponent suction-and-holding operation by the suction nozzle 10-1 areperformed, the suction nozzle 10-1 is subjected to a component turningoperation such that the suction nozzle 10-1 is turned about its axis,for example, a θ-axis extending along the up-and-down direction, by itsθ-axis motor 25 m so as to be turned to its placing posture angle.Meanwhile, after component feed from the component feed device 8A or 8Bby suction nozzle 10-2 of the second component suction device 15-2 and acomponent suction-and-holding operation by the suction nozzle 10-2 areperformed, the suction nozzle 10-2 is subjected to a turning operationsuch that the suction nozzle 10-2 is turned to its placing posture angleby its θ-axis motor 25 m, wherein the component suction-and-holdingoperation performed by the suction nozzle 10-2 of the second componentsuction device 15-2 is started when the component turning operationperformed by the suction nozzle 10-1 of the first component suctiondevice 15-1 is started. By doing so, while a suction operation by onesuction nozzle 10 is being performed, another suction nozzle 10 isenabled to perform a turning operation to its placing posture angle, sothat a mounting time can be reduced greatly, as compared with caseswhere a turning operation for all components to their placing postureangles is performed after a suction operation for all the components isperformed.

As another example, component suction, recognition, and placingoperations of ten components 20 may also be performed simultaneously byten nozzles 10 by one operation. This is described in detail below withreference to FIGS. 6 and 7.

In FIG. 6, “M” denotes movement, “S” a scanning operation, “D” amoving-down operation, “U” a moving-up operation, “C” a correctionoperation, “R” origin, “CS” a component suction operation, “CSOFF”release of component suction, “B” a blow operation, and “CP” arecognition processing operation.

As a reference, operations in the prior art are described first.

In the prior art, as shown in FIG. 22, FIG. 8 and FIG. 9, mounting head307 moves in an X-axis direction and/or a Y-axis direction to abovespecified component feed positions of ten component feed cassettes (stepS41 in FIG. 9), and ten nozzles 304 are moved down simultaneously fromtheir move-enabled height positions, which are their initial positions,to their component-suction-enabled height positions by drive ofup-and-down motor 312, so that ten components located at the componentfeed positions of the ten component feed cassettes are sucked and heldby the ten nozzles 304 (step S42 in FIG. 9). Thereafter, the ten nozzles304 are moved simultaneously up from their component-suction-enabledheight positions to their move-enabled height positions by drive of theup-and-down motor 312, i.e., returned to their heightwise originposition (step S43 in FIG. 9).

In FIG. 8, “M” denotes movement, “S” a scanning operation, “D” amoving-down operation, “U” a moving-up operation, “C” a correctionoperation, “R” origin, “CS” a component suction operation, “CSOFF”release of component suction, “B” a blow operation, “CP” a recognitionprocessing operation, and “SL” selection.

Next, the mounting head 307 moves in the X-axis direction to arecognition position (step S44 in FIG. 9). After the ten nozzles 304 aremoved down simultaneously from their move-enabled height positions totheir component-recognition-enabled height positions by drive of theup-and-down motor 312 (step S45 in FIG. 9), the nozzles are movedlinearly in one direction above a recognition camera to therebyaccomplish a recognition operation of the ten components sucked and heldby the ten nozzles 304 (step S46 in FIG. 9). Thereafter, by drive of theup-and-down motor 312, the ten nozzles 304 are moved simultaneously upfrom their component-recognition-enabled height positions to theirmove-enabled height positions, i.e., returned to the heightwise originposition (step S47 in FIG. 9).

Next, the mounting head 307 is moved to, for example, a componentmounting position for a component held by a first nozzle 304 (step S48in FIG. 9). Then, based on a component recognition result, the firstnozzle 304 is turned about its axis from its turning-direction originposition to a position corresponding to a total of placing posture angleand correction angle by drive of turn-actuating motor 311, therebycorrecting a posture angle of the held component (step S49 in FIG. 9).By drive of the up-and-down motor 312, the first nozzle 304 alone isselected by a cylinder 310 and moved down from its move-enabled heightposition to its component-placing-enabled height position, by which thecomponent held by the first nozzle 304 is placed onto the board (stepS50 in FIG. 9). After that, by drive of the up-and-down motor 312, thefirst nozzle 304 alone is moved up from its component-placing-enabledheight position to its move-enabled height position. Then, by drive ofthe turn-actuating motor 311, the first nozzle 304 is turned about itsaxis to its turning-direction origin position.

Subsequently, if component placing has not yet been completed for allthe components held by the mounting head 307 (step S51 in FIG. 9), theprogram proceeds to a next mounting operation.

For the next mounting operation, the mounting head 307 is moved to, forexample, a component mounting position for a component held by a secondnozzle 304 (step S48 in FIG. 9). Then, based on a component recognitionresult, the second nozzle 304 is turned about its axis from itsturning-direction origin position to a position corresponding to a totalof placing posture angle and correction angle by drive of theturn-actuating motor 311, by which a held component is corrected inposture angle (step S49 in FIG. 9). By drive of up-and-down motor 312,the second nozzle 304 alone is selected by a cylinder 310 and moved downfrom its move-enabled height position to its component-placing-enabledheight position, by which the component held by the second nozzle 304 ismounted onto the board (step S50 in FIG. 9). After that, by drive of theup-and-down motor 312, the second nozzle 304 alone is moved up from itscomponent-placing-enabled height position to its move-enabled heightposition. Then, by drive of the turn-actuating motor 311, the secondnozzle 304 is turned about its axis to its turning-direction originposition.

Thereafter, similarly, placing of components held by third to tenthnozzles 304 onto the board is performed one after another (steps S48 toS51 in FIG. 9), and the mounting head 307 moves to above specifiedcomponent feed positions of ten component feed cassettes for a nextcomponent suction operation in the X-axis direction and/or Y-axisdirection (step S41 in FIG. 9). Then, component suction, move torecognition positions, component recognition, move to component placingpositions, correction of component posture angle, and component placingoperation of steps S41 to S51 of FIG. 9 are iterated.

That is, in the prior art, since one nozzle 304 alone for next placing acomponent is turned after component recognition and subjected topositional correction, and thereafter a placing operation onto the boardis performed, it has inevitably been necessary to perform two operationsfor each nozzle 304 that is over the recognition position (step S46 inFIG. 9), i.e., turning-position correction (step S49 in FIG. 9) andcomponent placing (step S50 in FIG. 9).

In contrast to this, in the first embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 13 and7, mounting head 4 is moved by drive of the X-Y robot motors 6 y, 6 x ofthe X-Y robots 5 in the X-axis direction and/or the Y-axis direction toabove specified component feed positions 89 of ten component feedcassettes 80 (step S1 in FIG. 7), and the ten nozzles 10 are moved downby drive of the up-and-down linear motors 32 of the nozzle up-and-downdevices 26 simultaneously from their move-enabled height positions,which are their initial positions, to their component-suction-enabledheight positions so that ten components 20 located at the component feedpositions of the ten component feed cassettes are sucked and heldsimultaneously by the ten nozzles 10 (step S2 in FIG. 7). Thereafter, bydrive of the nozzle up-and-down devices 26, the ten nozzles 10 are movedup simultaneously from their component-suction-enabled height positionsto their move-enabled height positions, i.e., returned to theirheightwise origin positions (step S3 in FIG. 7).

Next, while the mounting head 4 is moved by drive of the X-Y robot 5 toa recognition position in the X-axis direction (step S4 in FIG. 7), thenozzles 10 are individually turned about their respective axes fromturning-direction origin positions to their placing posture angles bydrive of the nozzle turning devices 25, by which the components 20 heldby those nozzles 10 are put into a placing posture (step S5 in FIG. 7).

Next, by drive of the nozzle up-and-down devices 26, the ten nozzles 10are moved down simultaneously from their move-enabled height positionsto their component-recognition-enabled height positions (step S6 in FIG.7), and then moved linearly above recognition camera 9, by which arecognition operation of the ten components 20 sucked and held by theten nozzles 10 is performed (step S7 in FIG. 7). Thereafter, by drive ofthe nozzle up-and-down devices 26, the ten nozzles 10 are moved upsimultaneously from their component-recognition-enabled height positionsto their move-enabled height positions, i.e., returned to theirheightwise origin positions (step S8 in FIG. 7).

Next, while the mounting head 4 is moved by drive of the X-Y robot 5 to,for example, a component placing position for a component 20 held by afirst nozzle 10 (step S9 in FIG. 7), the nozzles 10 are turnedindividually concurrently about their axes from a placing posture angleto correction positions based on a component recognition result, bywhich the components 20 held by the nozzles 10 are individuallycorrected in posture angle (step S10 in FIG. 7). Therefore, at a timewhen the mounting head 4 is placed at the component placing position forthe component 20 held by the first nozzle 10, a posture angle correctionfor all the nozzles 10 has been completed. In this operation, althoughall the nozzles 10 may be subjected to posture angle correction, moreappropriately, only nozzle(s) 10 just before performing a placingoperation are subjected to such correction when a higher-precisionplacing is desired.

Next, by drive of its nozzle up-and-down device 26, the first nozzle 10alone is moved down from its move-enabled height position to itscomponent-placing-enabled height position, by which the component heldby the first nozzle 10 is placed onto the board 2 (step S11 in FIG. 7).After that, by drive of this nozzle up-and-down device 26, the firstnozzle 10 alone is moved up from its component-placing-enabled heightposition to its move-enabled height position. Then, by drive of theθ-axis motor 25 m of nozzle turning device 25, the first nozzle 10 isturned about its axis to its turning-direction origin position.

Subsequently, if component placing has not yet been completed for allthe components 20 held by the mounting head 4 (step S12 in FIG. 7), theprogram proceeds to a next mounting operation.

For the next mounting operation, while the mounting head 4 is moved to,for example, a component placing position for a component 20 held by asecond nozzle 10 by drive of the X-Y robot 5 (step S9 in FIG. 7), thesecond nozzle 10 is turned concurrently about its axis from a placingposture angle to a correction position, based on a component recognitionresult, by drive of its nozzle turning device 25, by which the component20 held by the second nozzle 10 is corrected in posture angle (step S10in FIG. 7). Only the second nozzle 10 is moved down from itsmove-enabled height position to its component-placing-enabled heightposition by drive of its nozzle up-and-down device 26, by which thecomponent 20 held by the second nozzle 10 is placed onto the board 2(step S11 in FIG. 7). Thereafter, by drive of its nozzle up-and-downdevice 26, the second nozzle 10 alone is moved up from itscomponent-placing-enabled height position to its move-enabled heightposition. Then, by drive of its nozzle turning device 25, the secondnozzle 10 is turned about its axis to its turning-direction originposition.

Thereafter, similarly, placing of the components 20 held by the third totenth nozzles 10 onto the board 2 is performed one after another (stepS12 in FIG. 7), and the mounting head 4 moves to above specifiedcomponent feed positions of the ten component feed cassettes 80 for anext component suction operation in the X-axis direction and/or Y-axisdirection by drive of the X-Y robot 5 (step S1 in FIG. 7). Then,correction of component posture angle and a component placing operationare iterated simultaneously with component suction, move to recognitionpositions, component recognition, and move to component placingpositions of steps S2 to S12 of FIG. 7.

That is, by performing the placing-posture-angle correction operationsimultaneously with the move operation to the component placingposition, a time for performing the placing-posture-angle correctionoperation alone can be eliminated, so that a mounting time can bereduced as a whole.

It is noted that also in the first embodiment, as in the prior art, eachnozzle 10 once exerts a blow just after placing of component 20 onto theboard 2 so as to ensure that the component 20 leaves the nozzle 10.

It is also possible that after components 20 are sucked and held fromthe component feed device 8A or 8B and held by the nozzles 10 of theplurality of component suction devices 15, respectively, and beforecomponent recognition with the recognition camera 9 is started, thenozzles 10 are individually moved up and down by driving the nozzleup-and-down devices 26 under control of the main controller 1000, a headcontroller 1001, and servo drivers 1002 based on component-heightinformation which has been stored in the memory 910 and which concernsthe components sucked and held by the nozzles 10, so that bottom facesof the components 20 are adjusted to a constant height of H1 as shown inFIG. 10, or so that the bottom faces of the components 20 are restrictedso as to fall within a constant height range, i.e., a depth of field ofthe recognition camera 9. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 11A, dataas to operations, a component database, component-feed-cassettearrangement data, or other information are preliminarily stored in thememory 910. In the component database, as shown in FIG. 11B are storedsizes (width w, thickness t, depth D) of individual components andinformation concerning electrodes of the components (information as to anumber of poles, electrode width and other sizes, positions, and thelike). As shown in FIG. 11C, the component-feed-cassette arrangementdata include serial component-feed-cassette numbers, link informationwith component types corresponding to the cassette numbers, linkinformation between component types and model numbers, and the like. Theterm “component type” herein refers to, for example, 1005R (i.e., aresistor having a component size of 1.0 mm×0.5 mm), 1608R (i.e., aresistor having a component size of 1.6 mm×0.8 mm), and the like.Therefore, for instance, as shown in FIG. 12, the main controller 1000first acquires suction component information for all the nozzles 10 fromthe memory 910 (step S61).

Next, the main controller 1000 determines cassette numbers from thesuction component information by referring to link information of thememory 910 (step S62 in FIG. 7).

Next, the main controller 1000 determines cassette coordinate positionsin the component mounting apparatus (equipment) from the cassettenumbers by looking up to the link information of the memory 910 (stepS63).

Next, the mounting head(s) 4 is moved to suction positions by drivingthe X-Y robot(s) 5 under control of the main controller 1000, the headcontroller 1001, and the servo drivers 1002, and suction heights arecalculated by the main controller 1000 based on information stored inthe memory 910 (e.g., information as to thicknesses of components to besucked to the nozzles, information as to component suction positions ofthe cassettes and the like) (step S64).

Next, based on these calculated suction heights, the nozzle up-and-downdevices 26 are driven under control of the main controller 1000, thehead controller 1001, and the servo drivers 1002, by which each nozzle10 is moved down to a corresponding calculated suction height (stepS65).

Next, the valves 90 are driven under control of the main controller1000, the head controller 1001 and the servo drivers 1002, by which acomponent suction operation is performed (step S66).

Next, sucked-component information for every nozzle is stored into thememory 910 by the main controller 1000 (step S67).

Next, the nozzle up-and-down devices 26 are driven under control of themain controller 1000, the head controller 1001, and the servo drivers1002, by which each nozzle 10 is moved up to its heightwise originposition (step S68).

Next, the X-Y robot 5 is driven under control of the main controller1000, the head controller 1001, and the servo drivers 1002, by which themounting head(s) 4 is moved to a recognition position(s) (step S69).

Next, by the main controller 1000, a recognition height of each nozzle10 for adjusting bottom faces of individual components 20 uniformly to aconstant height H1 is calculated based on information in the memory 910(e.g., information as to thicknesses of the components sucked by thenozzles) (step S70).

Next, based on this calculated recognition height of each nozzle 10,each nozzle up-and-down device 26 is driven under control of the maincontroller 1000, the head controller 1001, and the servo drivers 1002,by which each nozzle 10 is moved down from its heightwise originposition to its recognition height (step S71). During this operation,the bottom faces of the components 20 sucked and held by the nozzles 10may be individually adjusted uniformly to the constant height H1 asshown in FIG. 10.

Next, the X-Y robot(s) 5 is driven under control of the main controller1000, the head controller 1001, and the servo drivers 1002, by which themounting head(s) 4 is made to pass through above the recognitioncamera(s) 9, allowing a recognition operation to be performed (stepS72).

Next, each nozzle up-and-down device 26 is driven under control of themain controller 1000, the head controller 1001, and the servo drivers1002, by which each nozzle 10 is moved up to its heightwise originposition (step S73).

Next, the X-Y robot 5 is driven under control of the main controller1000, the head controller 1001, and the servo drivers 1002 so as to bemoved to the mounting position (step S74).

Next, by the main controller 1000, a mounting down height is calculatedbased on information in the memory 910 (e.g., information as tothickness of the component to be sucked to the nozzle, information as tothe board thickness, and the like) (step S75).

Next, based on this calculated mounting down height, nozzle up-and-downdevice 26 is driven under control of the main controller 1000, the headcontroller 1001, and the servo drivers 1002, by which the nozzle toperform a mounting operation is moved down to its mounting down height(step S76).

Next, this nozzle up-and-down device 26 is driven under control of themain controller 1000, the head controller 1001, and the servo drivers1002, by which the nozzle 10 to perform the mounting operation is moveddown to its mounting down height. This state is maintained for a moment,by which a component mounting operation, so as to mount a component ontothe board 2, is accomplished (step S77).

Next, this nozzle up-and-down device 26 is driven under control of themain controller 1000, the head controller 1001, and the servo drivers1002, by which the nozzle 10 that has performed the mounting operationis moved up to its heightwise origin position (step S78).

Next, it is checked by the head controller 1001 and the servo drivers1002 whether or not a component mounting operation has been performedfor all the nozzles 10 of the mounting head 4. In order that nozzles 10,that have not yet performed a mounting operation, if any, are put intooperation, the program returns to step S74 (step S79). If a componentmounting operation has been completed for all the nozzles 10, theprogram returns to step S61.

With this method as described above, since recognition surfaces, e.g.,bottom surfaces of all components can be set to within the depth offield of the recognition camera 9 during a process of recognition, eventhose components whose thicknesses largely differ from one another canbe treated collectively for a recognition operation. As a result, suchdisadvantages as incapability of recognition due to recognition surfacesnot falling within depth of field can be eliminated without fail.

Now, communications between the main controller 1000 of acomponent-mounting-apparatus main body and each mounting head 4, andcontrol operations between the main controller 1000 and each servodriver 1002 for controlling the head controller 1001, each θ-axis motor25 m, and each up-and-down linear motor 32 in each mounting head 4, aswell as a constitution therefor, are described below.

In this first embodiment, with a view to reducing any increase in cableconnections between the component-mounting-apparatus main body and themounting heads 4 due to any increase of a number of actuators, as wellas to implementing modularization of the mounting heads 4, thisapparatus adopts a method in which a drive control section forindividually controlling up-and-down and turning operations of thenozzles of a mounting head, which have been conventionally controlled byan NC board 901 mounted on a control unit of thecomponent-mounting-apparatus main body, is implemented by the headcontroller 1001 and the servo drivers 1002, which are integrated intoone unit and mounted on a mounting head 4 side, wherein communicationsbetween the head controller 1001 and the main controller 1000 areperformed in a serial manner. In order to implement such a system, thereis a need for reducing an amount of communications between the maincontroller 1000 and the head controller 1001 and, therefore, a commandsystem by asynchronous communications is adopted. Also, communicationsbetween the head controller 1001 and each servo driver 1002 areperformed by transmission in synchronous communications, whileone-to-multi broadcasting is enabled from the head controller 1001individually to the servo drivers 1002. Further, communications from theservo drivers 1002 to the head controller 1001 are individuallyperformed in a one-to-one system in which a communication path isswitched in time division with interrupt notifications given. Byimplementing communications in such a full duplex communication system,issues with an increase in communication traffic due to an increase in anumber of actuators, i.e., a multiplication of axes can be solved.

The above-described system is explained below in detail for a case ofcontrolling θ-axis motor 25 m, which is a servomotor for nozzle turningdevice 25 of a component suction device 15, and up-and-down linear motor32 for nozzle up-and-down device 26 in the component mounting apparatus.

As shown in FIGS. 13, 14 and 16, the main controller 1000, i.e.controller for controlling machine (MMC), is mounted on thecomponent-mounting-apparatus main body, while the head controller 1001and the servo drivers 1002, as well as members or devices to be drivenand controlled, such as the θ-axis motors 25 m or the up-and-down linearmotors 32, are mounted on the mounting heads 4.

The main controller 1000 has a function of setting operatingcharacteristics, for example, it sets travel distance, acceleration,maximum speed, and speed command waveform pattern of the members ordevices to be driven and controlled.

The main controller 1000 and the head controller 1001 are connected toeach other in such a serial connection as to be both switchable betweena transmission side and a reception side, as required, where one-to-onecommunications are performed asynchronously.

In order to reduce communication traffic in this case, first, it isarranged that not only communications by individually specifying axes ofnozzles 10 but also broadcasting for all the axes to the nozzles 10 arepossible. Also, in order that values of operating speed and accelerationfor each nozzle 10 can be selected from, for example, eight kinds ofspecified values, respectively, it is designed that, for example, eightkinds of specified values of speed and acceleration for the nozzles 10are preliminarily transmitted to the head controller 1001 so as to bestored as a table in a memory 1005 connected to the head controller1001. As a result of this, only transmitting, for example, one specifiedvalue selected out of the eight kinds, allows each nozzle 10 to operateat a desired speed or acceleration. It is further arranged that withprovisions of commands for instructing a suction operation to beperformed by the nozzles 10 as well as commands for instructing aplacing operation to be performed by the nozzles 10, a sequence ofsuction and placing operation can be performed only by transmitting atravel amount and a bottom dead-point time for each operation. Morespecifically, for example, with information as to a suction operation tobe performed by the nozzles 10 and a placing operation to be performedby the nozzles 10 preliminarily stored in the memory 1005 connected tothe head controller 1001, when a suction-operation instruction commandor a placing-operation instruction command is transmitted from the maincontroller 1000 to the head controller 1001, information as to arelevant operation is read from the memory 1005, and based oninformation as to a travel amount and dead-point time, the servo driver1002 is made to perform a relevant operation. Therefore, in a case wherecomponent suction is performed by, for example, ten nozzles 10, it isonly required to transmit a command for instructing a suction operationto be performed by the nozzles 10 to all ten nozzles 10, as well as asignal containing a down amount and a dead-point time for suction to beperformed by each nozzle 10, and specified values of operating speed andacceleration for up-and-down move of each nozzle 10, from the maincontroller 1000 to the head controller 1001. Also, in a case wherecomponent placement is performed by, for example, the first nozzle 10-1out of the ten nozzles 10, it is only required to transmit a command forinstructing a placing operation to be performed by the first suctionnozzle 10-1 to the first suction nozzle 10-1, as well as a signalcontaining a down amount and a dead-point time for the placing operationto be performed by the first suction nozzle 10-1, and specified valuesof operating speed and acceleration for up-and-down movement of thefirst suction nozzle 10-1, from the main controller 1000 to the headcontroller 1001.

The head controller 1001 has a function of conversion into instructionsin unit time, where, for example, a travel amount for the unit time ofsynchronous communications is calculated based on set values fromupper-order main controller 1000, and then transmitted to the servodrivers 1002.

The head controller 1001 and the servo drivers 1002 are connected toeach other in a serial manner, so that one-to-multi communications areperformed in synchronous communications.

With a full duplex communication system used for improvement incommunication responsivity of communications in this case, it is enabledto simultaneously perform communication from the head controller 1001 toeach servo driver 1002 and communication from each servo driver 1002 tothe head controller 1001. Further, the communication from the headcontroller 1001 to each servo driver 1002 is a one-to-multicommunication in which communications from the head controller 1001 aresimultaneously transmitted to all the servo drivers 1002. That is, thesame data, commands, or the like are transmitted to all the servodrivers 1002. Therefore, all the servo drivers 1002 have addressesdifferent from one another, and only those correspondent in theaddresses and an order of sent data, commands, or the like areindividually taken into the servo drivers 1002. This allows acommunication time to remain almost unchanged even if a number of theservo drivers 1002 is increased. In contrast to this, in the prior art,since data or instruction information is transmitted to servo drivers1002 in time division, there has been an issue in that increases in anumber of servo drivers 1002 would cause communication time to beprolonged proportionally. Such an issue is solved by a concurrentbroadcasting of information and a check and selection according toaddresses. Further, for communications from the servo drivers 1002 tothe head controller 1001, a synchronization cycle is equally dividedinto five, and data or the like is transmitted during individual dividedcycles sequentially from address 1.

Since communication responsivity can be improved with theabove-described constitution, communication time remains almostunchanged even if a number of the servo drivers 1002 is increased. Incontrast to this, in the prior art, since data or instructioninformation is transmitted to individual servo drivers 1002 in timedivision, there has been an issue in that increases in a number of servodrivers 1002 would cause communication time to be prolongedproportionally. Such an issue is solved by concurrent broadcasting ofinformation and a check and selection according to addresses.

Each of the servo drivers 1002 has a function of controlling position ofa corresponding servomotor (θ-axis motor 25 m) or a correspondingup-and-down linear motor 32. For example, servo driver 1002 calculates adifference between a given command and a feedback amount derived from anencoder of the servomotor or an up-and-down amount detection sensor ofthe up-and-down linear motor 32, and controls torque of the servomotoror an up-and-down amount of the up-and-down linear motor 32 to obtaincoincidence with a targeted position.

The servo drivers 1002 and the members or devices to be driven andcontrolled such as the θ-axis motors 25 m or the up-and-down linearmotors 32 are connected to each other with various types of electricalwires.

As shown above, in the first embodiment, the main controller 1000 ismounted on the component-mounting-apparatus main body, while the headcontroller 1001, the servo drivers 1002, and the members or devices tobe driven and controlled, such as the θ-axis motors 25 m or theup-and-down linear motors 32, are mounted on the mounting heads 4.

In contrast to this, in the prior art, as shown in FIG. 15, a maincontroller 900, an NC board 901, and servo drivers 902 for individualservomotors 903 are mounted on the control unit of thecomponent-mounting-apparatus main body, while the servomotors 903 onlyare mounted on mounting head 307 of FIG. 22. The main controller 900 hasa function of setting operating characteristics, and, for example, setstravel distance, acceleration, maximum speed, and speed command waveformpattern of members or devices to be driven and controlled. The maincontroller 900 and the NC board 901 are connected to each other in a busconnection, where one-to-one communications are performedasynchronously. The NC board 901 has a function of conversion intoinstructions in unit time, where, for example, a travel amount for theunit time of synchronous communications is calculated based on setvalues from upper-order main controller 900, and then transmitted to theservo drivers 902. The NC board 901 and the servo drivers 902 areconnected to each other in a serial manner, so that one-to-multicommunications are performed in synchronous communications. Each of theservo drivers 902 has a function of controlling position of acorresponding servomotor 903 (turn-actuating motor 311 or up-and-downmotor 312 in FIG. 22). For example, each servo driver 902 calculates adifference between a given command and a feedback amount derived from anencoder of a corresponding servomotor 903, and controls torque of thisservomotor 903 to obtain coincidence with a targeted position. With sucha prior-art constitution, implementing up-and-down operations andturn-correcting operations of individual nozzles 10 independently of oneanother as in the first embodiment, would involve mounting a nozzleturning device 25 and a nozzle up-and-down device 26 on each nozzle 10.This would result in an increase in a number of actuators, for example,compared with the constitution of the prior-art mounting head 307 ofFIG. 22, which in turn would result in an increase in a number of servodrivers 902 that control the actuators. In the prior art, the servodrivers 902 would be mounted on the fixed side, i.e., on thecomponent-mounting-apparatus main body, while the actuators (servomotors903) only would be mounted on the mounting head 307. With a similarconstitution, in the prior art, wiring lines for connecting the servodrivers 902 and the actuators, for ten nozzles as an example, wouldresult in a total of two wiring lines in conjunction with the servodrivers 902 since two actuators consisting of one up-and-down motor 312and one turn-actuating motor 311 are involved, or in a total of threewiring lines in conjunction with the servo drivers 902 since threeactuators consisting of one up-and-down motor 312 and two turn-actuatingmotors (a turn-actuating motor for odd-numbered nozzles and aturn-actuating motor for even-numbered nozzles) are involved. Incontrast to this, since a total of twenty actuators consisting of tenturn-actuating motors and ten up-and-down motors for ten nozzles areinvolved, a total of twenty wiring lines in conjunction with the servodrivers 902 result. This is seven to ten times as large as the number ofwiring lines of the prior art, making it impractical to perform wiring.Also, the servo drivers would increase in number seven to ten times,causing their installation area to increase, thereby making it difficultto accommodate those servo drivers into the component mountingapparatus. To solve these and other issues, the first embodiment is soarranged that the servo drivers 1002 are downsized, reduced in weight,and mounted on the mounting heads 4.

More specifically, first, two actuators are controlled by one servodriver 1002. In more detail, in order to control two motors of theθ-axis motor 25 m and the up-and-down linear motor 32 with one servodriver 1002, a high-speed CPU 1002 a is mounted as a controllerdedicated to the servo driver 1002 so that servo operations for two-axisactuators can be performed with one CPU 1002 a, and that a mounting areaof a controller board for providing the servo driver 1002 can be reducedto enable downsizing of the servo driver 1002. Further, on the headcontroller 1001 side, a head controller 1001 specialized in a functionof head control is mounted on mounting head 4 in order to implementone-to-one communications between the main controller 1000 and the headcontroller 1001 in this first embodiment, other than one-to-multicommunications between the NC board 901 and the servo drivers 902 in theprior art. Further, the main controller 1000 and the head controller1001 are connected in serial communication, thereby allowing a powersupply cable and communication cable to each be one in number. Inaddition, it is devised to implement multi-axis control in serialcommunication by establishing a communication protocol, i.e., byimplementing a protocol for reducing communication traffic.

Now, as an example of a signal to be transmitted from the maincontroller 1000 to the head controller 1001, here is discussed a casewhere the mounting head 4 moves up and down only selected nozzles 10,out of the ten nozzles 10, in component feed position(s) to performcomponent suction. While the mounting head 4 is moving toward thecomponent feed position(s), signal(s) containing drive-amountinformation for servo driver(s) 1002, to be selected out of the servodrivers 1002 that control the θ-axis motors 25 m of ten nozzle turningdevices 25 and the up-and-down linear motors 32 of ten nozzleup-and-down devices 26 for the ten nozzles 10, are transmitted from themain controller 1000 to the head controller 1001.

The drive-amount information, as an example, contains addressinformation of these selected servo driver(s) 1002 that should receivedrive-amount information, travel or up-and-down distance designinformation corresponding to down amount(s) predetermined at a designstage of the nozzle(s) driven by servo driver(s) 1002 at theaddress(es), travel or up-and-down distance correction information whichis correction information for determining an actual preferable downamount(s) for the nozzle(s) 10 from the travel or up-and-down distancedesign information, and check information for checking that the signalof drive-amount information has been correctly received. Therefore, thehead controller 1001, which has received the drive-amount informationsignal from the main controller 1000, first checks that the drive-amountinformation signal has been correctly received, and then transmits acheck result, as a check result signal, to the main controller 1000. Ifthe signal containing drive-amount information has not been receivedcorrectly by the head controller 1001, the main controller 1000transmits the signal containing drive-amount information once again tothe head controller 1001, waiting for a check result signal from thehead controller 1001. If the signal containing drive-amount informationhas been received correctly by the head controller 1001, the headcontroller 1001 calculates actual travel or up-and-down distanceinformation from the travel or up-and-down distance design informationand the travel or up-and-down distance correction information, andcauses this information to be temporarily stored in the memory 1005 asrequired.

On the other hand, after the main controller 1000 has received anarrival signal indicating that the mounting head 4 has arrived at thecomponent feed position, a signal containing an operation start signalis transmitted from the main controller 1000 to the head controller1001. Operation start information, as an example, contains addressinformation of the servo driver(s) 1002 to be started operating, anddown-move start signal(s) of the nozzle(s) to be driven by the servodriver(s) 1002 at the address(es).

Once the signal containing an operation start signal has been receivedby the head controller 1001 as shown above, the head controller 1001simultaneously transmits to all the servo drivers 1002 a motor-dedicateddrive-amount signal containing actual travel or up-and-down distanceinformation calculated for all the servo drivers 1002 and addressinformation of the servo driver(s) 1002 that should receive drive-amountinformation. By transmission from the head controller 1001, only theservo driver(s) 1002 having the address(es) that should receive thedrive-amount information receive actual travel or up-and-down distanceinformation, and immediately drives and controls the up-and-down linearmotor(s) 32 based on this actual travel or up-and-down distanceinformation to lower the nozzle(s) 10 to make the nozzle(s) 10 perform acomponent suction-and-holding operation.

In addition, in a case where the ten nozzles 10 are loweredsimultaneously to perform a suction operation, respective pieces ofdrive-amount information and a simultaneous operation start signal foreach of all the servo drivers 1002 are transmitted from the maincontroller 1000 to the head controller 1001, and signals containingactual travel or up-and-down distance information for each of the servodrivers 1002 are transmitted simultaneously from the head controller1001 to all the servo drivers 1002 by which the servo drivers 1002 areindividually controlled so that the nozzles 10 are simultaneouslylowered.

For operations (e.g., a recognition operation, placing operation or thelike) other than the above-described suction operation, similarly,before members or devices which are to operate during the operationscome to their operating positions, drive-amount information, as to theservo drivers 1002 that should drive and control the members or devicesto operate, is transmitted from the main controller 1000 to the headcontroller 1001, and the head controller 1001 calculates actual travelor up-and-down distance information, wherein an operation start signalis delayed. When the members or devices to operate are located at theiroperating positions or have approached the operating positions, theoperation start signal is transmitted from the main controller 1000 tothe head controller 1001, and the head controller 1001 transmitsaddress(es) of the servo driver(s) 1002 to be driven and controlled aswell as the actual travel or up-and-down distance information to all theservo drivers 1002, by which the servo driver(s) 1002 that shouldperform drive control are put into operation.

Thus, by dividing a signal for communications into a signal containingdrive-amount information and a signal containing operation startinformation, and by transmitting or receiving signals at proper timings,respectively, an amount of signal transmission can be reduced toapproximately one third, compared with cases in which two signals aresimultaneously transmitted.

Meanwhile, information to be transmitted in communications from the headcontroller 1001 to the main controller 1000 includes address informationof individual servo drivers 1002, current-position information as tocurrent positions of members or devices driven and controlled by theservo drivers 1002, and state information of the members or devices(e.g., valve on/off information, error information as to halts due tooverloads or the like, electric current information, and the like), inaddition to the above-described check result signal.

In addition, referring to FIG. 16, reference numeral 1002 a denotes aCPU dedicated for servo drivers, 90 denotes a valve that starts/stops asuction or discharge (blow) operation of nozzle 10 which is driven andcontrolled by servo-driver dedicated CPU 1002 a, 91 denotes an interfaceof signals derived from a position detector of up-and-down linear motor32 and which are inputted to the servo-driver dedicated CPU 1002 a, and92 denotes an interface of signals derived from an encoder of θ-axismotor 25 m and which are inputted to the servo-driver dedicated CPU 1002a. Numeral 93 denotes an amplifier for amplifying a drive-controlcurrent from the servo-driver dedicated CPU 1002 a to the up-and-downlinear motor 32, 94 denotes an amplifier for amplifying a drive-controlcurrent from the servo-driver dedicated CPU 1002 a to the θ-axis motor25 m, 95 denotes a serial interface, 96 denotes an interrupt interface,97 denotes a CPU of the head controller 1001, 99 denotes a power supplysection, and 98 denotes a DC converter of the power supply section 99.

According to the first embodiment, a nozzle 10 that has sucked acomponent 20 can be turned to a desired angle at any arbitrary time by acorresponding nozzle turning device 25, and moreover, the nozzle 10 canbe moved up and down to a desired height at any arbitrary time by acorresponding nozzle up-and-down device 26. Therefore, in each mountinghead 4 equipped with a plurality of component suction devices 15, allthe nozzles 10 can be turned to their respective desired angles at thesame time by driving and controlling all the nozzle turning devices 25at the same time. Accordingly, after component suction and before itsrecognition, components 20 can be turned, while on their respectivenozzles 10, to their placing posture angles by individual drive of thenozzle turning devices 25, especially even during movement from acomponent suction position to a component recognition position. As aresult of this, a need for largely turning the nozzles to their placingposture angles just before placing a component is eliminated, so thatturning operation time can be reduced, and so that mounting cycle timeas a whole can be reduced.

Also, before placing components 20, the nozzles 10 can be turned totheir respective correction angles simultaneously by individual drive ofthe nozzle turning devices 25, so that a need for turning the nozzlesindividually to their correction angles just before placing thecomponents is eliminated, and so that mounting cycle time can bereduced.

Also, since the nozzle turning devices 25 and the nozzle up-and-downdevices 26 can be driven and controlled individually and independently,it is possible that during a component suction operation or a componentplacing operation performed by one nozzle 10 that has, for example,moved down, the other nozzles 10 perform a turning operation of suckedand held components. It is therefore possible to concurrently performdifferent operations by a plurality of nozzles 10, so that mountingcycle time can be shortened.

With the nozzle up-and-down device 26 arranged below the nozzle turningdevice 25, turning drive of the nozzle turning device 25 would cause thenozzle up-and-down device 26 to turn along with a corresponding nozzle10, in which case wiring lines for the nozzle up-and-down device 26 andthe like would be complicated in structure. However, in the firstembodiment, since the nozzle up-and-down device 26 is located above thenozzle turning device 25, turning drive of the nozzle turning device 25does not cause the nozzle up-and-down device 26 to turn along with thenozzle 10, in which case such a disadvantage as described above does notoccur.

In more detail, superior working effects as shown below can be produced,in comparison with issues of the prior art.

First, the mounting head 307 as shown in FIG. 22 has had the followingissues so far.

-   {circle around (1)} Load factor for the motor 312 or 311 is high;    because a plurality of nozzles 304 are operated by one motor 312 or    311, operation frequency of the motor 312 or 311 is high and a    high-power motor is necessitated.-   {circle around (2)} Improvement in throughput is difficult;    improving an operating speed and acceleration of the nozzles 304 to    thereby improve a mounting cycle time (throughput) in view of issue    {circle around (1)} would involve increase in motor size (increase    in power), which in turn would cause the mounting head 307 to    increase in dimensions and mass, with results of increased loads on    other driver devices such as an X-Y robot that operates the mounting    head 307, as well as an impossibility of providing a multi-head    structure.-   {circle around (3)} Placing precision is poor; that is, this    precision becomes poor when large correction angle operations are    required depending on orientation of components (e.g., when a    placing posture angle is rotated, for example, 90° or 180° with    respect to posture of components at a component feed position). For    example, a placing operation of the prior art includes firstly    performing component suction, then moving to a recognition position    where component recognition is performed, then moving to a placing    position where a turning operation to the placing posture angle and    a turn correction operation based on a component recognition result    are performed, and finally the placing operation is performed. For    such operation, the turning operation to the placing posture angle    (e.g., 90° or 180°) can be performed only after the component    recognition is performed. A reason for this is that because multiple    nozzles 304 are operated with one turn-actuating motor 311, adding a    turning operation of 180°, 0°, 90° or the like before component    recognition would cause throughput to decrease. In addition, when    effects of eccentricity, distortion (see FIG. 17B), thermal    deformation, and the like of the nozzles 304 are involved, there is    another issue in that a large turning angle of the nozzles 304 would    result in proportionally large errors.-   {circle around (4)} Batch suction of components different in    component thickness is difficult to perform; that is, because    multiple nozzles 304 are moved up and down with the same up-and-down    motor 312, it is impossible to adjust a suction height for    individual nozzles 304 as shown in FIG. 17A. Therefore, as shown in    FIGS. 22 and 18, the nozzles 304 are adjusted in position by    contracting springs 360, which are individually provided for the    nozzles 304, to an extent corresponding to thickness differences of    components 320 to thereby absorb the thickness differences of    components 320. However, a force exerted onto the components 320 by    the springs 360 has limitations so as not to meet large differences    in component thickness. Further, control responsive to component    thicknesses (load control) is impossible, and adjustment to a    recognition height H01 is unachievable during component recognition    as shown in FIG. 17A.-   {circle around (5)} For example, with a large turning angle such as    90° and 180°, when a turning operation is performed after component    recognition, throughput would decrease as a whole for a mounting    operation.

Such various issues of the prior art as described above can all besolved by the first embodiment as follows.

That is, since each suction nozzle 10 is equipped with actuators capableof performing an up-and-down operation and a turning operation, i.e., anozzle up-and-down device 26 and a nozzle turning device 25,respectively, a load on one actuator can be reduced, so that themounting head 4 having such actuators mounted thereon can improveoperating acceleration without increasing a size of the motor. As aresult of this, improvement in throughput can be accomplished so thatthe prior-art issues of {circle around (1)} and {circle around (2)} canbe solved.

Also, since the nozzles 10 can be subjected to turning operations aboutθ-axes at any arbitrary time, independently of one another, by theirrespective nozzle turning devices 25, it is possible that with placingposture angles of components being largely different from a componentposture angle at a component feed position by 90°, 180° or the like,components can preliminarily be turned to their placing posture anglesby driving the nozzle turning devices 25 after component sucking andholding is performed by the nozzles 10, and before component recognitionis performed. As a result of this, all the components are located attheir placing posture angles before component recognition, thus reducinga turning amount for correction subsequent to the component recognitionso that adjustment to the placing posture angles can be accomplishedwith proportionally higher precision.

Also, effects of distortions due to thermal changes of the nozzles 10 orthe like (see differences between solid-line nozzle 304 and broken-linenozzle 304 in FIG. 17B) can be minimized, so that placing precision canbe improved. More specifically, assume that with a nozzle 10 under noeffects of heat or the like, as shown in FIG. 23A, a center 9 p of aquadrilateral image 9 i of recognition camera 9, and a center 10 p ofthe nozzle 10, are coincidently located at a position [Xn, Yn] in X-Ycoordinates, and that a center 20 c of a rectangular-parallelopipedcomponent 20 sucked by the nozzle 10 is located at a position [Xp, Yp]in the X-Y coordinates that is shifted from the center 10 p of thenozzle 10. Further assume that when the nozzle 10 is turned by θ=45degrees about a nozzle axis in this state, the center 20 c of thecomponent 20 sucked by the nozzle 10 is located at a position [Xp′, Yp′]in the X-Y coordinates. Then, the X-Y coordinates [Xp′, Yp′] of thecenter 20 c of the component 20 resulting after this 45 degree turn canbe determined by the following equation (Eq. 1):Eq. 1: $\begin{bmatrix}{Xp}^{\prime} \\{Yp}^{\prime}\end{bmatrix} = {{\begin{bmatrix}{\cos\quad\theta} & {\sin\quad\theta} \\{{- \sin}\quad\theta} & {\cos\quad\theta}\end{bmatrix}\left\lbrack {\begin{bmatrix}{Xp} \\{Yp}\end{bmatrix} - \begin{bmatrix}{Xn} \\{Yn}\end{bmatrix}} \right\rbrack} + \begin{bmatrix}{Xn} \\{Yn}\end{bmatrix}}$

Next, in a case where the nozzle 10 is under effects of heat or thelike, assume that the center 9 p of the quadrilateral image 9 i of therecognition camera 9, and the center 10 p of the nozzle 10 are notcoincident with each other as shown in FIG. 23B, wherein the nozzle 10is distorted due to the effects of heat or the like so as to be shiftedwith respect to the position [Xn, Yn] in the X-Y coordinates of thecenter 9 p of the image 9 i so as to be located at a position [Xn′, Yn′]in the X-Y coordinates. Further assume that the center 20 c of therectangular-parallelopiped component 20 sucked by the nozzle 10 islocated at the position [Xp, Yp] in the X-Y coordinates with respect tothe center 10 p of the nozzle 10. When the nozzle 10 is turned by θ=45degrees about the nozzle axis in this state, it would be expected thatwithout any effects of heat, the center 20 c of the component 20 suckedby the nozzle 10 is located at the position [Xp′, Yp′] in the X-Ycoordinates as in the case of FIG. 23A. However, actually, since actualX-Y coordinates of the turning center 10 p of the nozzle 10 have beenshifted from [Xn, Yn] to [Xn′, Yn′] because of the effects of heat onthe nozzle 10, calculative X-Y coordinates [Xp′, Yp′] of the position ofthe center 20 c of the component 20 with respect to the actual X-Ycoordinates [Xn′, Yn′] of the turning center 10 p of the nozzle 10 canbe determined by the following equation (Eq. 2):Eq. 2: $\begin{bmatrix}{Xp}^{\prime} \\{Yp}^{\prime}\end{bmatrix} = {{\begin{bmatrix}{\cos\quad\theta} & {\sin\quad\theta} \\{{- \sin}\quad\theta} & {\cos\quad\theta}\end{bmatrix}\left\lbrack {\begin{bmatrix}{Xp} \\{Yp}\end{bmatrix} - \begin{bmatrix}{Xn} \\{Yn}\end{bmatrix}} \right\rbrack} + \begin{bmatrix}{Xn} \\{Yn}\end{bmatrix}}$

Also, assuming that a calculative turning-center position, i.e., thecenter 9 p of the image 9 i is [Xn, Yn] in the X-Y coordinates, actualX-Y coordinates [Xp_r′, Yp_r′] of a position of the component center 20c can be determined by the following equation (Eq. 3):Eq. 3: $\begin{bmatrix}{Xp\_ r}^{\prime} \\{Yp\_ r}^{\prime}\end{bmatrix} = {{\begin{bmatrix}{\cos\quad\theta} & {\sin\quad\theta} \\{{- \sin}\quad\theta} & {\cos\quad\theta}\end{bmatrix}\left\lbrack {\begin{bmatrix}{Xp} \\{Yp}\end{bmatrix} - \begin{bmatrix}{Xn}^{\prime} \\{Yn}^{\prime}\end{bmatrix}} \right\rbrack} + \begin{bmatrix}{Xn}^{\prime} \\{Yn}^{\prime}\end{bmatrix}}$

Therefore, a shift between the calculative X-Y coordinates of theposition of the center 20 c of the component 20 and the actual X-Ycoordinates of the position of the component center 20 c results in aplacing position shift, wherein this placing position shift can bedetermined by the following equation (Eq. 4) from equations (Eq. 2) and(Eq. 3):Eq. 4: ${\begin{bmatrix}{Xp}^{\prime} \\{Yp}^{\prime}\end{bmatrix} - \begin{bmatrix}{Xp\_ r}^{\prime} \\{Yp\_ r}^{\prime}\end{bmatrix}} = {\begin{bmatrix}{\cos\quad\theta} & {\sin\quad\theta} \\{{- \sin}\quad\theta} & {\cos\quad\theta}\end{bmatrix} - \begin{bmatrix}{Xn} \\{Yn}\end{bmatrix} + \begin{bmatrix}{Xn}^{\prime} \\{Yn}^{\prime}\end{bmatrix} + \begin{bmatrix}{Xn} \\{Yn}\end{bmatrix} - \begin{bmatrix}{Xn}^{\prime} \\{Yn}^{\prime}\end{bmatrix}}$

-   -   θ-dependent components    -   Translational components

In this equation (Eq. 4), without any turn of the nozzle 10, i.e., withthe turning angle θ=0, there results zero error, thereby eliminating aplacing position shift. In contrast to this, with the nozzle 10 turned,i.e., with the turning angle θ≠0, there occurs an error, wherein thesmaller the turning angle θ, the smaller the error. Accordingly, byturning the nozzle 10 before component recognition to thereby turncomponent 20 to a placing posture angle, allowing the component to berecognized, and then by turning the component to an extent correspondingto a correction after the component recognition, a resulting turningangle can be reduced so that errors due to effects of heat or the likecan be reduced.

Thus, the prior-art issue of {circle around (3)} can be solved.

Also, based on information as to the nozzles 10 and thicknesses ofcomponents to be sucked by the nozzles 10 stored in the memory 910,up-and-down amounts for the nozzles 10 by the nozzle up-and-down devices26 are individually adjusted under control of the main controller 1000,the head controller 1001, and the servo drivers 1002, by taking intoconsideration the thicknesses of the components to be sucked. Thus, evenwith largely different thicknesses of components, performing batchsuction of a plurality of components 20 by a plurality of nozzles 10never causes damage to the components 20. Also, based on the informationas to the nozzles 10 and the thicknesses of components to be sucked bythe nozzles 10 stored in the memory 910, and under control of the maincontroller 1000, the head controller 1001, and the servo drivers 1002,up-and-down amounts for the nozzles 10 are individually adjusted by thenozzle up-and-down devices 26 so that bottom faces of components suckedby the nozzles 10 are individually adjusted to a uniform height or towithin a certain range. Thus, batch recognition of components that arelargely different in height from one another is enabled. Therefore, theprior-art issue of {circle around (4)} can be solved.

Further, as a result of driving θ-axis motor 25 m under control of themain controller 1000, the head controller 1001, and the servo drivers1002, the nozzles 10 are allowed to individually perform turningoperations about corresponding θ-axes at any arbitrary timeindependently of one another. Therefore, even when a placing postureangle of a component 20 is largely different from its placing angle at acomponent feed position by, for example, 90° or 180°, any decrease inmounting cycle time can be prevented by, after sucking and holding ofthe component 20 by nozzle 10 and before recognition of the component20, driving the nozzle turning device 25 to preliminarily turn thecomponent 20 to its placing posture angle, as compared with a case wherethis turning operation is performed after component recognition andbefore component placement. Therefore, the prior-art issue of {circlearound (5)} can be solved.

Also, in each component suction device 15, the nozzle turning device 25and the nozzle up-and-down device 26 for the suction nozzle 10 areprovided by the same unit in an arrangement that the θ-axis motor 25 mfor the nozzle turning device 25 is located below the linear motor 32,which is an up-and-down motor for the nozzle up-and-down device 26, andthat a center line of the θ-axis motor 25 m is located at a center ofthrust imported by the linear motor 32. Thus, occurrence of anunnecessary moment is prevented during up-and-down operations, by whichswings due to the up-and-down operations can be prevented.

Also, the nozzle up-and-down device 26 is so structured that themagnetic-circuit forming member 26 a and the mechanism forming member 26b are dividedly provided, wherein these members can be made of differentmaterials and combined together so that the magnetic-circuit formingmember 26 a alone is made of steel material and the mechanism formingmember 26 b is made of aluminum alloy or the like, thus making itpossible to reduce weight and thickness of the device.

Also, the main controller 1000 is provided on thecomponent-mounting-apparatus main body, while the head controller 1001and the servo drivers 1002 are mounted on the mounting head 4 side. Incommunications from the main controller 1000 through the head controller1001 to the servo drivers 1002, the same broadcast communications can beperformed to the servo drivers 1002 for all the nozzles 10 bytransmitting addresses and drive amounts of the servo drivers 1002. Eachof the servo drivers 1002 is enabled to fetch only informationcoincident with its own address and neglect other information, thusbeing capable of driving and controlling their respective motors 32, 25m without any malfunction. Thus, communication traffic and communicationtime can be reduced as compared with a case where communications areperformed for each of the servo drivers 902.

Also, values of speed and acceleration for the nozzles 10, for example,eight kinds of specified values are preliminarily individuallytransmitted from the main controller 1000 to the head controller 1001 soas to be stored as a table in the memory 1005 connected to the headcontroller 1001 . As a result of this, only transmitting, for example,one specified value, selected out of the eight kinds, allows the nozzles10 to individually operate at a desired speed or acceleration. Thus,communication traffic and communication time can be reduced as comparedwith a case where concrete information as to speed and acceleration istransmitted.

Further, only by transmitting a command for instructing a suctionoperation to be performed by the nozzles 10, or a command forinstructing a placing operation to be performed by the nozzles 10, and atravel amount as well as a dead-point time for each operation, from themain controller 1000 to the head controller 1001, relevant motors 32 or25 m can be driven and controlled via the head controller 1001 by theservo drivers 1002 to perform the suction operation or placementoperation. Thus, communication traffic and communication time can bereduced as compared with a case where information as to a suction orplacement operation is transmitted.

It is noted here that the present invention is not limited to the aboveembodiment, and may be embodied in other various ways.

For example, the above embodiment has been described for a case wheresimultaneous suction, simultaneous recognition and the like areperformed by ten nozzles 10. However, in a case where only five nozzles10 are used for performing a mounting operation, even with ten nozzles10 mounted on mounting head 4, it is possible to read the abovedescription by replacing the ten nozzles 10 with five nozzles 10. Thatis, a plurality of nozzles which should perform a mounting operation canbe made to simultaneously perform suction, turning, recognition, orother operations.

The component mounting apparatus equipped with the above-describedcomponent suction device is not limited to the above first embodiment,and may be applied to other component mounting apparatuses.

For example, as a component mounting apparatus according to a secondembodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIGS. 19, 20, and 21,the component mounting apparatus may be one in which mounting heads 4Amove only in an X-direction, while a board holding device 3A that holdsboard 2 moves only in a Y-direction, without being limited to those inwhich the mounting head 4 moves in the X- and Y-directions. Morespecifically, the board holding device 3A is implemented by a Y-tablethat advances and retreats only in the Y-axis direction, while an X-axisdriver device 5A extending in the X-axis direction, perpendicular to theY-axis direction, is provided. By the X-axis driver device 5A, themounting heads 4A are driven only in the X-axis direction independentlyof one another. Also in such a component mounting apparatus, as in thecomponent mounting apparatus of the first embodiment, nozzles that havesucked components 20 can be turned at any arbitrary time to desiredangles by nozzle turning devices 25, and besides the nozzles 10 can bemoved up and down at any arbitrary time to desired heights by nozzleup-and-down devices 26. Therefore, for example, after a componentsuction operation has been performed at a component feed cassette 8D,the nozzles 10 can be turned to their respective placing posture anglessimultaneously by drive of the nozzle turning devices 25. Also, beforeplacing components, the nozzles 10 can be turned to the their respectivecorrection angles simultaneously by drive of the nozzle turning devices25. In addition, in FIG. 20, reference numeral 1A denotes a loader, and11A denotes an unloader.

A component suction device according to a third embodiment of thepresent invention, as shown in FIGS. 24 and 25, includes: a drive shaft500 which is movable up and down and turnable about its axis; a suctionnozzle 10A which is fitted at a lower end of the drive shaft 500 so asto be relatively non-rotatable and up-and-down relatively immovable, andwhich can suck and hold component 20; a θ-turn driving motor 25A whichis connected to an upper portion of the drive shaft 500 so as to beup-and-down relatively movable and relatively non-rotatable, and whichturns the drive shaft 500 about its axis; an up-and-down driver device26A which has a cylindrical first coupling section 501 connected to thedrive shaft 500 up-and-down relatively immovably and relativelyrotatably, and which drives up and down the first coupling section 501to thereby drive the drive shaft 500 up and down; a driver 1002A whichdrives and controls the θ-turn driving motor 25A and the up-and-downdriver device 26A independently of each other; and a suction controlvalve 580 which controls a suction operation of the nozzle 10A. Thecomponent suction device of such a constitution is provided side by sidein a plural number on a mounting head 4C.

As shown in FIGS. 26 and 27, the drive shaft 500 has, in an upper partthereof, a spline shaft portion 500 a having a pair of recessed portions521 at an interval of, for example, 180 degrees. Outside the splineshaft portion 500 a, are fitted a cylindrical second coupling section502 which has a pair of protrusions 520 for engaging with the pair ofrecessed portions 521 of the spline shaft portion 500 a and which isup-and-down relatively movable and relatively non-rotatable. Further,outside the second coupling section 502 is fitted a lower end portion ofan elongate, cylindrical third coupling section 25C which is connectedrelatively non-rotatably with a key 503 fitted into a keyway 523 of thesecond coupling section 502. An upper end of the third coupling section25C is fixed to a turning shaft 540 of the θ-turn driving motor 25A.

Therefore, as the turning shaft 540 of the θ-turn driving motor 25A isdriven to turn, the third coupling section 25C, the second couplingsection 502 coupled to the third coupling section 25C relativelynon-rotatably, the drive shaft 500 having the spline shaft portion 500 aconnected to the second coupling section 502 relatively non-rotatably,and nozzles 10A connected to lower ends of drive shaft 500 integrallyturn.

Also, the cylindrical first coupling section 501 connected to the driveshaft 500 up-and-down relatively immovably and relatively rotatably isconnected to the up-and-down driver device 26A via a drive arm 510. Bydrive of the up-and-down driver devices 26A, the drive arm 510, thefirst coupling section 501 connected to the drive arm 510, the driveshaft 500 connected to the first coupling section 501 up-and-downrelatively immovably, and the nozzle 10A fixed to the lower end of thedrive shaft 500 integrally move up and down. A distance of this movementis, as shown in FIGS. 29 and 30, between an upper-end position H0 and alower-end position H1, for example, about 20 mm.

As shown above, the up-and-down driver device 26A is located, notcoaxial with the drive shaft 500, but beside the drive shaft 500 so asto move up and down the drive shaft 500 via the drive arm 510.Therefore, heat generated by up-and-down movement of the up-and-downdriver device 26A is less likely to be transferred to a drive shaftside, so that drive control by the drive shaft 500 can be enhanced andthat the structure as a whole can be simplified.

The nozzles 10A are so arranged that a width of the component suctiondevices, i.e., an array pitch of the θ-turn driving motors 25A, an arraypitch of rectangular up-and-down driver devices 26A, and a width ofrectangular drivers 1002A are a pitch distance corresponding to an arraypitch of a plurality of component feed sections of the component feeddevice, for example, component cassettes, trays, or the like. As aresult of this, it becomes possible to simultaneously locate a pluralityof nozzles 10A above a plurality of component cassettes or trays andthen move the nozzles downwardly, thus making the nozzles 10 performbatch suction simultaneously. Thus, a width of the mounting head 4C canbe minimized by setting widths of individual rectangular motors 25A, 26Aand rectangular drivers 1002A according to an array pitch of the nozzles10A. Also, when the rectangular motors or drivers are fitted to themounting head 4C, it is possible to fix these motors or drivers incontact with one another by virtue of their rectangular shape, in whichcase rigidity can be improved.

Each θ-turn driving motor 25A has an encoder 25B on top thereof so as tobe able to detect a turning angle of turning shaft 540. An output fromthe encoder 25B is fed to driver 1002A, and the θ-turn driving motor 25Ais driven and controlled by drive shaft 500 at a turning angle based ona turning angle position of a corresponding nozzle 10A.

Each up-and-down driver device 26A can be implemented by a voice coilmotor as an example. As shown in FIG. 26, each up-and-down driver device26A is made up generally of a movable magnet 511 which can be moved upand down by a pair of up-and-down extending linear guides 513 and towhich drive arm 510 is fixed, four coils 512, and a linear scale 514which detects a vertical position of the movable magnet 511 with highprecision. This vertical position information determined by the linearscale 514 is fed to driver 1002A, and the up-and-down driver 26A isdriven and controlled based on this positional information.

This third embodiment is characterized by the following features.

-   1. A plurality of nozzles 10A are equipped with laterally opposed    θ-motors 25A controllable independently of one another,    respectively.-   2. In the constitution of the above paragraph 1, the nozzles 10A can    be moved up and down via drive shafts 500.-   3. In the constitution of the above paragraph 1, the nozzles 10A can    be moved up and down by thin type voice coil motors (VCMs) as    examples of the up-and-down driver devices 26A.-   4. In the constitution of the above paragraphs 1 and 3, drivers    1002A that control motors 25A, 26A are attached near the above    constitutions, wherein with a method of operating from a host via    serial communications, wiring can be saved by mounting the head    controller on a movable section.-   5. In the constitutions of the above paragraphs 1 to 4, there is    such a characteristic arrangement (where ten nozzles 10A are    adjusted to a minimum pitch of the component cassettes; by mounting    the head controller on a movable section and by adjustment to a    minimum cassette pitch, reduction in size and weight is implemented)    that the motors 25A, 26A and the drivers 1002A are thinned so as to    be adjusted to a width of the component cassettes as an example of a    component feed section. As a result of this, weight as a whole of    the mounting head 4C can be reduced to about half, and vibrations    occurring with movement can be reduced to a large extent.-   6. In the constitution of the above paragraph 5, a suction    opening-and-closing valve of nozzle 10A is provided for each of the    nozzles 10A, wherein components can be sucked and placed    independently or simultaneously. That is, with the head controller    mounted on the movable section, high-speed machine operation is    performed by several I/O units.-   7. In the constitution of the above paragraph 1, it is characterized    in that after component suction and placement, one turn is made so    that bearings 530, 531, 532, 533 or the like are prolonged in life.    That is, after completion of suction and before movement to a next    step, nozzle 10A is subjected to one turn, thereby being prolonged    in life.

This is explained below.

First, in a case where up-and-down movement and a θ turn are performedwhen component placement is performed after component suction andrecognition, as in the prior-art apparatuses, it is impossible to reducemounting cycle time because two operations of the up-and-down movementand θ turn are performed. That is, since a plurality of nozzles areturned with one θ-motor, individual nozzles cannot be θ-turned torespective placement positions before being recognized, and insteadup-and-down movement and θ-turn are performed at the time of componentplacement , thus making it unattainable to reduce mounting cycle time.However, according to the third embodiment, after component suction andduring movement to a recognition position, nozzles can be individuallyθ-turned to their respective placed-state positions and then recognized,and thereafter subjected to corrective turns for θ-turn positions duringmovement to placing positions, and then component placement only byup-and-down movement can be performed. Thus, reduction in mounting cycletime can be realized. Also, since the nozzles 10A can be adjusted interms of placing orientation, i.e., to their θ-turn positions beforebeing recognized, placing precision can be improved.

Next, in a case of prior-art apparatuses in which head-driving actuatorsare mounted within the mounting head and drivers, which are controllerstherefor, are mounted on an equipment main body, increasing a number ofhead-driving shafts would cause wiring for connecting the head and theequipment main body to increase. However, in the third embodiment, themotors adjusted to a pitch of the nozzles 10A of the mounting head 4C(laterally opposed θ-motors 25A as an example of the θ-turn drivingmotors and thin-type voice coil motors 26A as an example of theup-and-down driver devices), as well as motor drivers therefor, aremounted on the mounting head 4C, and a conventional NC controller ismounted on the mounting head 4C, wherein the equipment main body and thedriver controller are communicated with each other by wired or wirelesscommunications. As a result of this, even if a number of nozzle shaftsof the mounting head 4C is increased, wiring between the equipment mainbody and the mounting head 4C is not increased.

Next, in the prior-art apparatuses, the θ-motors, being unable to becoaxial with central axes of the nozzles, with rotary forces thereoftransferred to the central axes of the nozzles via a rack and pinion ora timing belt, involves large error factors such as backlash. That is,in a case where a nozzle pitch is adjusted to a minimum pitch ofcomponent cassettes, it would be impossible to provide θ-motors forindividual nozzles, respectively, and θ-turn is implemented by a belt orby a rack and pinion. As a result of this, turn errors such asbacklashes of gears would be large. In contrast to this, according tothe third embodiment, laterally opposed θ-motors 25A are disposedcoaxial with the nozzles 10A, and turns are transferred via the splineshafts 500. That is, the laterally opposed θ-turn driving motors 25Aserving as thin-type servomotors are located coaxial with the centralaxes of individual nozzles 10A, by which a turning force in theθ-direction can be transferred directly to the nozzles 10A, so thatturning errors can be reduced.

Also, in the prior-art constitution, as shown in FIG. 35, in a casewhere a back turn for nozzle 10, which is performed after a θ-turn fromits initial angle position ORG to a placing angle position X1 in orderto return the nozzle 10 to its initial position, is set to a turn equalin angle value(−θ) and opposite in direction to the turn to the placingangle position X1 (θ-turn) as shown in FIG. 36 for a purpose of speed-upof cycle time, loads would be applied to the same portions or same ballsof bearings, which causes the bearings to be shortened in life. Further,when the nozzle 10 is moved for correction turn in a placing at 0°, itbecomes more likely that fretting occurs to the bearings, causing thebearings to be shortened in life. In contrast to this, in the thirdembodiment, in a case where back turn for nozzle 10A, which is performedafter a θ-turn from its initial angle position to a placing angleposition in order to return the nozzle 10A to its initial position, isset to a turn of a (360°−θ) angle equal in direction to the turn to theplacing angle position (θ-turn) as shown in FIGS. 37 and 38, by whichthe nozzle 10A is returned to its initial angle position, the nozzle 10Ais turned 360° in all cases, making use of all balls of the bearings530, 531, 532, 533 as shown in FIG. 26. As a result of this, thebearings 530, 531, 532, 533 are subjected to one turn in all cases, sothat loads are applied uniformly to all the balls, allowing the bearings530, 531, 532, 533 to be prolonged in life. It is noted that thebearings 530, 531 are bearings which rotatably support upper and lowerportions of turning shaft 540 of θ-turn driving motor 25A. The bearings532, 533 are bearings which rotatably support upper and lower portionsof third coupling section 25C.

A θ-turn driving motor 25A according to a third embodiment of thepresent invention is explained below with reference to FIGS. 39 to 44.

Before explanation of the θ-turn driving motor 25A according to thethird embodiment of the present invention proceeds, a conventionalbrushless motor is first explained as an example.

The conventional brushless motor is so constructed that, as shown inFIG. 45, a rotor 101 is placed at a center, with an annular stator 102surrounding the rotor 101. The rotor 101 is magnetized to a plurality ofpoles peripherally. Each of teeth 102 a-102 f of the stator 102 is woundwith a coil 103, and fore ends of the teeth 102 a-102 f are close to anouter periphery of the rotor 101 with a gap δ therebetween.

In this case, a case of three phase (UVW) is shown, wherein position ofthe rotor 101 is detected by a separate sensor (not shown), andenergization timing to the coils 103 of individual phases, UVW, arecontrolled in response to a position of the rotor 101 so that a rotatingmagnetic field is generated from the stator 102 to thereby rotationallydrive the rotor 101.

Also, there has conventionally been provided, in need for smaller size,a coreless motor in which, as shown in FIG. 46A, 46B, is so constructedthat coreless coils 103 are placed around a rotor 101, with a statoryoke 104 placed on an outer periphery of the coils 103, wherein arotating magnetic field is generated to rotationally drive the rotor 101as in the case of FIG. 45.

However, the coreless motor is, on one hand, capable of being downsized,as compared with the brushless motor shown in FIG. 45, and on the otherhand, poor at magnetic efficiency because of its having no iron core,thus resulting in an issue that high torque output cannot be achieved.Further, an attempt to obtain as high a torque as possible would onlycause the rotor 101 and the coils 103 to be made longer in length in anaxial direction of the rotor 101 (Y-axis direction); hence resulting ina low degree of freedom of design as it stands.

FIRST EXAMPLE

Thus, as a first example of the θ-turn driving motor 25A according tothe third embodiment of the present invention, its object is to providea brushless motor which can be downsized more than the brushless motorshown in FIG. 45, and yet which is better at magnetic efficiency andhigher in torque output than the coreless motor of FIGS. 46A, 46B.

FIGS. 39 to 42 show this first example of a brushless motor according tothe third embodiment of the present invention.

This brushless motor according to the third embodiment of the presentinvention, as shown in FIG. 39, is assembled of a rotor 101, generallyflat first, second stator blocks 105 a, 105 b, a holder body 106, and aholder plate 107, a main part of which is shown in FIG. 40.

The rotor 101 is magnetized peripherally to a plurality of poles. Eachof the first, second stator blocks 105 a, 105 b, as shown in FIG. 41, ismade by laminating a plurality of magnetic steel plates, each punchedinto a generally E-shape form, and having three teeth 108 a, 108 b, 108c. Fore ends of the teeth are formed into a circular arc shape runningalong an outer periphery of the rotor 101. Each of the teeth 108 a, 108b, 108 c is wound with a coil 103, wherein portions of the teeth atwhich the coils 103 are wound are referred to as tooth winding portions109. Winding grooves 110 are formed at the tooth winding portions 109 ofthe teeth 108 a, 108 c.

Concretely, fore ends of the teeth 108 a-108 c are so formed thatcircular-arc surfaces confronting the outer periphery of the rotor havea symmetrical 60° slot pitch as shown in FIG. 41.

In an electric circuit, position of the rotor 101 is detected by aseparate sensor (not shown) such as a magnetic sensor, and energizationtiming to the coils of individual phases, UVW, are controlled inresponse to position of the rotor 101 so that a rotating magnetic fieldis generated from the stator blocks 105 a, 105 b to thereby rotationallydrive the rotor 101.

Each stator block 105 a, 105 b has a thickness by laminating magneticsteel plates along an axial direction of the rotor 101 (the Y-directionin FIG. 41), with the teeth 108 a-108 c parallel to one another, and ashape along an end face of the rotor is a flat type one such that afirst length L1 formed by interconnecting points of a stator,constructed from the stator blocks, corresponding to 0° and 180° aboutthe axis of the rotor (X-axis direction shown in FIG. 41) is shorterthan a second length L2 formed by interconnecting points of the stator,constructed from the stator blocks, corresponding to 90° and 270° aboutthe axis of the rotor (Z-axis direction shown in FIG. 41). Thus, thisbrushless motor is smaller in size, and successful in magneticefficiency because it is not a coreless motor, as compared with theconventional brushless motor shown in FIG. 45.

Further, larger output torque can be attained by setting longer thetooth winding portions 109 of the teeth 108 a-108 c in the Z-axisdirection as shown in FIG. 41 to thereby enhance a magnetic field, or byforming longer the rotor 101 and the stator blocks 105 a, 105 b in theY-axis direction as shown in FIG. 41. Thus, whereas a degree of freedomfor designing the conventional coreless motor shown in FIGS. 46A, 46B isin one way of the Y-axis direction, a degree of freedom of design can beprovided in two ways of the Y-axis direction and the Z-axis direction inthis third embodiment, so that necessary torque can be outputted with anappropriate form suited to applications.

Also, in a case where the winding grooves 110 to serve as the toothwinding portions 109 are formed thicknesswise (in the Y-axis direction)on a side surface 111 crossing a direction of the first length of thefirst, second stator blocks 105 a, 105 b as described above, and wherean outermost peripheral surface 112 of the coils 103 wound on thewinding grooves 110 is positioned so as to be flush with the sidesurface 111, or inwardly of the side surface, a width of the brushlessmotor in the X-axis direction can be further reduced.

SECOND EXAMPLE

FIG. 43 shows a brushless motor, which is a second example of the θ-turndriving motor 25A according to the third embodiment of the presentinvention.

Flat-type stators of the brushless motor according to the first exampleare constructed by first, second stator blocks 105 a, 105 b that comeinto contact with each other at a boundary that interconnects points ofthe stator, constructed from these stator blocks, corresponding to 0°and 180° about the axis of the rotor. The second example, as shown inFIG. 43, differs from the first example only in that the stator isconstructed by a single stator block 112, with the rest of theconstitution being the same as in the first example.

THIRD EXAMPLE

FIGS. 44A, 44B show a brushless motor, which is a third example of theθ-turn driving motor 25A according to the third embodiment of thepresent invention.

Whereas first, second stator blocks 105 a, 105 b of the brushless motoraccording to the first example have been constructed by forming threeteeth 108 a-108 c in each block, it is also possible that tooth blocks113 a, 113 b, 113 c as shown in FIG. 44A are brought into contact withand joined together at joints 114 so as to form magnetic paths at bothend portions of tooth winding portions 109 as shown in FIG. 44B.Otherwise, the brushless motor is the same as the first example.

In this case, work of winding coils on tooth winding portions 109becomes easier.

As shown above, in the brushless motor as a θ-turn driving motor 25Aaccording to the third embodiment of the present invention, the foreends of the individual teeth of the stators are formed into circular-arcsurfaces extending along the outer periphery of the rotor, andindividual teeth winding portions are formed parallel to one another.Thus, as compared with the conventional brushless motor in which therotor is surrounded by an annular stator, the brushless motor can bemade smaller in size than the brushless motor shown in FIG. 45, and yetthe brushless motor can be made better in magnetic efficiency and higherin torque output than coreless motors.

An up-and-down driver device 26A according to the third embodiment ofthe present invention is described below with reference to FIGS. 47 to52.

Before explanation of the up-and-down driver device 26A according to thethird embodiment proceeds, a conventional voice-coil type linear motoris first described as an example in terms of its issues.

FIG. 53 shows a basic voice-coil type linear motor.

In this voice-coil type linear motor, magnets 201 a, 201 b asstationary-side magnets are located on a lower side, and a frame coil202 is located on its upper side with gaps between the magnets 201 a,201 b so as to be movable left and right in this case of FIG. 53. Forthe magnet 201 a, its face opposite the frame coil 202 is magnetized toan N pole. For the magnet 201 b, its face opposite the frame coil 202 ismagnetized to an S pole.

When electric current is passed through the frame coil 202 in thedirection of arrows, a magnetic action of the magnets 201 a, 201 b and amagnetic field generated in a vertical interval 202 v of the frame coil202 causes movable-side frame coil 202 to be driven by a distance Y tothe right side, in this case, against the magnets 201 a, 201 b.

FIG. 54 shows a case of three phases (UVW), wherein a magnet 201 amagnetized to an N pole, a magnet 201 b magnetized to an S pole, amagnet 201 c magnetized to an N pole, and a magnet 201 d magnetized toan S pole, all of which are so magnetized at their upper surfaces, areplaced at specified intervals on a stationary side, and over thesemembers, frame coils 202 a, 202 b, 202 c are located on a movable side,movable left and right in this FIG. 54, with gaps provided between themagnets 201 a-201 d on an upper side of the frame coils.

When electric current is passed through the frame coils 202 a, 202 b,202 c, the same magnetic action as described above causes the movableside to be driven, in this case, laterally.

As another example of the prior art, magnets 201 a, 201 b are fitted onboth sides of a central pole 203 as shown in FIG. 55, a yoke 204 isprovided so as to surround an outer peripheral portion thereof, and aframe coil 205 is disposed on the yoke 204, which is a movable side, soas to surround the central pole 203. An attraction-and-repulsion actionof a magnetic field generated by passage of electric current through theframe coil 205 and generated magnetic fields A1, A2 of the magnets 201a, 201 b causes the movable side to move in a direction perpendicular tothe drawing sheet of FIG. 55.

In the above structures of the prior art as described above, in allcases, a span section X of the frame coils 202 a-202 c and 205 do notcontribute to a thrust and result in a loss.

Also, in the type shown in FIG. 55, magnetic flux is concentrated at thecentral pole 203 so that magnetic saturation is more likely to occur,thereby posing an issue that high torque output is unattainable.

The up-and-down driver device 26A according to the third embodiment ofthe present invention is proposed to provide a linear motor of higherthrust than conventional counterparts. That is, the up-and-down driverdevice 26A according to this third embodiment is a linear motor which isdriven to slide in such a direction that stationary side and movableside located in opposition to each other are prevented from changing ina gap of opposition by magnetic action.

FIRST EXAMPLE

FIGS. 47 to 50 show a linear motor which is a first example of theup-and-down driver device 26A according to the third embodiment of thepresent invention. It is noted that although the linear motor for actualuse is made up of four coils for larger thrust, the followingdescription is made for a case of two coils. Also in the followingdescription, the coils correspond to first, second teeth 209 a, 209 b. Apair of linear guides correspond to guide rails 214 a, 214 b. Amovable-side member (e.g., outer yoke 206) corresponds to a movablemagnet.

This linear motor according to the first example is an internal-magnettype linear motor, in which frame coils 207 a, 207 b are provided insidean outer yoke 206 on a stationary side. Guide rails 214 a, 214 b areprovided on side faces of the outer yoke 206, and sliders 208 a, 208 bare movably fitted to the guide rails 214 a, 214 b. Support arms 210 a,210 b of an inner yoke 209, which is a movable side, are attached withscrews 215 a on one-side ends of the sliders 208 a, 208 b as shown inFIG. 48, and the inner yoke 209 is supported so as to be slidable insuch directions as to pass through cylindrical outer yoke 206(directions of arrows J1, J2). Also, a back yoke 216 is attached withscrews 215 b to other-side ends of the sliders 208 a, 208 b.

The inner yoke 209 is of such a U-shape that the first, second teeth 209a, 209 b are connected to each other with a base-end magneticcommunicating portion B. As shown also in FIG. 49, S poles that areone-side poles of first, second magnets 211 a, 211 b are stuck to upperand lower surfaces of the first tooth 209 a, respectively, so that theupper and lower surfaces arc made into N poles, while N poles that areother-side poles of third, fourth magnets 211 c, 211 d are stuck toupper and lower surfaces of the second tooth 209 b, respectively, sothat these upper and lower surfaces are made into S poles.

A frame coil 207 a is provided inside the outer yoke 206 so as tosurround an exterior of the first tooth 209 a with a gap therebetween,and a frame coil 207 b is provided inside the outer yoke 206 so as tosurround an exterior of the second tooth 209 b with a gap therebetween.

Further, fore ends of the first, second teeth 209 a, 209 b are insertedinto recessed portions 217 a, 217 b of the back yoke 216 and furtherengaged with screws 215 c as shown in FIG. 48, wherein the back yoke 216serves as the magnetic communicating portion B. In this way, the linearmotor according to the first example is assembled.

With the constitution as described above, as shown in FIG. 50, amagnetic flux φ1 radiated from the N pole of the first magnet 211 aflows toward the second tooth 209 b adjoined by the outer yoke 206,flows into the S pole of the third magnet 211 c, further flows from theN pole of the third magnet 211 c into the second tooth 209 b, furtherflows from the second tooth 209 b via the magnetic communicating portionB into the first tooth 209 a, and reaches the S pole of the first magnet211 a. The magnetic flux φ1 flows in circulation.

Similarly, a magnetic flux φ2 radiated from the N pole of the secondmagnet 211 b flows toward the second tooth 209 b adjoined by the outeryoke 206, flows into the S pole of the fourth magnet 211 d, furtherflows from the N pole of the fourth magnet 211 d into the second tooth209 b, further flows from the second tooth 209 b via the magneticcommunicating portion B into the first tooth 209 a, and reaches the Spole of the second magnet 211 b. The magnetic flux φ2 flows incirculation.

In this state, with electric current passed through the frame coils 207a, 207 b in a direction shown in FIG. 50, magnetic fields generated bythe frame coils 207 a, 207 b act on the magnetic fluxes φ1, φ2, causingthe inner yoke 209 to be moved along the direction of arrow J1.

In this connection, the frame coils 207 a, 207 b each have an openingface having a rectangular shape such that a length L1 of its side lineopposite a corresponding magnet is longer than a length L2 of its spansection X, thus allowing large thrust to be obtained. Still, because theinner yoke 209 has driving force generated at two members, i.e. thefirst, second teeth 209 a, 209 b, thrust larger than that of theprior-art system shown in FIG. 55 can be obtained.

Further, the first, second teeth 209 a, 209 b have less tendency of suchmagnetic saturation as seen in the constitution of FIG. 55, thus beingcapable of obtaining thrust that changes nearly proportionally over awide range of strength of magnetic fields generated by the frame coils207 a, 207 b. More concretely, in FIG. 55, which shows a prior-artexample, magnetic fluxes A1, A2 circulatively flow from yoke 204 into asmall side face 213 of central pole 203, resulting in magneticsaturation. On the other hand, in the first example, as shown in FIG.50, magnetic fluxes φ1, φ2 aggressively flow into upper and lower faces(surfaces on which the first to fourth magnets are arranged) larger inarea than side faces of the first, second teeth 209 a, 209 b, thusallowing such magnetic saturation as described above to be reduced to agreat extent.

In this first example, the magnetic communicating portion B has beenprovided at both ends of the first, second teeth 209 a, 209 b. However,by taking into consideration assembly concerns, the magneticcommunicating portion B may also be provided at only base ends of thefirst, second teeth 209 a, 209 b, with other ends being opened.

SECOND EXAMPLE

FIGS. 51 and 52 show a linear motor which is a second example of theup-and-down driver device 26A according to the third embodiment of thepresent invention.

This linear motor according to the second example is an exterior-magnettype linear motor, in which an outer yoke 206 moves relative to an inneryoke 209.

The inner yoke 209 has first, second teeth 209 a, 209 b, both ends ofwhich are connected to each other with magnetic communicating portion B,and the outer yoke 206 externally surrounds the first, second teeth 209a, 209 b, with the outer yoke being supported so as to be slidable in alongitudinal direction of the first, second teeth 209 a, 209 b(direction of arrow J) with a gap between the teeth and the outer yoke.

Inside the outer yoke 206, first, second, third, fourth magnets 211 a,211 b, 211 c, 211 d are provided opposite both faces of the teeth sothat faces of two magnets opposed to faces of one tooth are of a singlepole different in polarity from faces of the other two magnets opposedto faces of the other tooth.

More specifically, as shown in FIG. 52, S poles of the first, secondmagnets 211 a, 211 b are stuck to opposed interior faces of the outeryoke 206 so that one side of the first tooth 209 a becomes one polarity,which is the N pole. N poles of the third, fourth magnets 211 c, 211 dare stuck to the opposed interior faces of the outer yoke 206 so thatone side of the second tooth 209 b becomes the other polarity, which isthe S pole.

A coil 212 a is arranged and concentratedly wound on the first tooth 209a, and a coil 212 b is arranged and concentratedly wound on the secondtooth 209 b, wherein a gap δ is formed between the coil 212 a and thefirst, second magnets 211 a, 211 b and between the coil 212 b and thethird, fourth magnets 211 c, 211 d.

As a result of such a constitution as described above, magnetic fluxesφ1, φ2 radiated from the N poles of the first, second magnets 211 a, 211b flow through the first tooth 209 a toward the magnetic communicatingportion B, and flow from the second tooth 209 b into the S poles of thethird, fourth magnets 211 c, 211 d, thus reaching from the N poles ofthe third, fourth magnets 211 c, 211 d via the outer yoke 206 to the Spoles of the first, second magnets 211 a, 211 b. Thus, the magneticfluxes φ1, φ2 flow in circulation.

In this state, with electric current passed through the frame coils 212a, 212 b, magnetic fields generated by the frame coils 212 a, 212 b acton the magnetic fluxes φ1, φ2, causing the inner yoke 209 to be movedalong the direction of arrow J responsive to a direction of currentpassage.

In this connection, the first, second teeth 209 a, 209 b each have arectangular shape such that a length L3 of its side line opposite to acorresponding one of the first to fourth magnets 211 a-211 d is longerthan a length L4 of a connection side connecting opposite sides, so thatthe coils 212 a, 212 b wound on these first, second teeth 209 a, 209 bare relatively shorter in their span sections X. Thus, as in the firstexample, a thrust larger than that of the prior-art system shown in FIG.55 can be obtained.

Although both ends of the teeth 209 a, 209 b have been connected to eachother with the magnetic communicating portion B in this second example,one-side ends thereof may be opened.

In addition, although the first, second teeth 209 a, 209 b have beenprovided as the teeth of the inner yoke 209 in the foregoing examples,three or more teeth may also be provided in parallel with a similarconstitution.

As shown above, with use of the linear motor of the up-and-down driverdevice 26A according to the third embodiment of the present invention,thrust higher than that of conventional counterparts can be attained bycombination of an inner yoke which has a plurality of teeth with amagnet attached to each of the teeth, and an outer yoke in which framecoils are attached.

Also, with use of the linear motor of the up-and-down driver device 26Aaccording to the third embodiment of the present invention, thrusthigher than that of conventional counterparts can be attained bycombination of an inner yoke which has a plurality of teeth with a coilwound on each of the teeth, and an outer yoke in which magnets areattached.

In addition, combining any arbitrary embodiments from among theforegoing various embodiments, as required, makes it possible to producetheir individual effects.

According to the present invention, actuators, or a nozzle up-and-downdevice and a nozzle turning device, capable of performing up-and-downoperations and turn correction for every component suction device, i.e.,every suction nozzle, can be provided, so that loads on one actuator canbe reduced. A mounting head on which such actuators are mounted canfulfill an improvement in operating acceleration without increasing asize of the motor. As a result of this, throughput can be improved.

Also, since the nozzles can be subjected to turning operations abouttheir axes at any arbitrary time, independently of one another, by theirrespective nozzle turning devices, it is possible that with componentswhose placing posture angle is largely different from a componentposture angle at a component feed position by 90°, 180° or the like,components can preliminarily be turned to their placing posture anglesby driving the nozzle turning devices after component sucking andholding is performed by the nozzles, and before component recognition isperformed. As a result of this, all the components are located at theirplacing posture angles before component recognition, thus reducing aturning amount for correction subsequent to component recognition sothat adjustment to the placing posture angles can be accomplished withproportionally higher precision. Also, effects of distortions due tothermal changes of the nozzles or the like can be minimized, so thatplacing precision can be improved.

Also, based on information as to the nozzles and thicknesses ofcomponents to be sucked by the nozzles, up-and-down amounts for thenozzles by the nozzle up-and-down devices are individually adjusted bytaking into consideration the thicknesses of the components to be suckedby the nozzles. Thus, even with largely different thicknesses ofcomponents, performing batch suction of a plurality of components by aplurality of nozzles never causes damage to the components. Also, basedon information as to the nozzles and thicknesses of components to besucked by the nozzles, up-and-down amounts for the nozzles areindividually adjusted by the nozzle up-and-down devices so that bottomfaces of the components sucked by the nozzles are adjusted to a uniformheight or to within a certain range. By doing so, batch recognition ofcomponents that are largely different in height from one another isenabled.

Further, since the nozzles can be subjected to a turning operation,about their axes at any arbitrary time independently of one another, itis possible that with components whose placing posture angle is largelydifferent from a component posture angle at a component feed position by90°, 180° or the like, components can preliminarily be turned to theirplacing posture angles by driving the nozzle turning devices aftercomponent sucking and holding is performed by the nozzles and beforecomponent recognition is performed. As a result of this, any decrease inmounting cycle time can be prevented as compared with a case where aturning operation is performed after component recognition and beforecomponent placement.

Further, with the nozzle up-and-down device arranged below the nozzleturning device, turning drive of the nozzle turning device would causethe nozzle up-and-down device to turn along with the nozzle, in whichcase wiring lines for the nozzle up-and-down device and the like wouldbe complicated in structure. However, in the present invention, sincethe nozzle up-and-down device is located above the nozzle turningdevice, turning drive of the nozzle turning device does not cause thenozzle up-and-down device to turn along with the nozzle, in which casesuch issues as described above do not occur.

Also, in a case where the nozzle up-and-down device is so structuredthat a magnetic-circuit forming member and a mechanism forming memberare dividedly provided, those members can be made of different materialsand combined together so that the magnetic-circuit forming member aloneis made of steel material and the mechanism forming member is made ofaluminum alloy or the like, thus making it possible to reduce weight andthickness of the device.

Although the present invention has been fully described in connectionwith the preferred embodiments thereof with reference to theaccompanying drawings, it is to be noted that various changes andmodifications are apparent to those skilled in the art. Such changes andmodifications are to be understood as included within the scope of thepresent invention as defined by the appended claims unless they departtherefrom.

1. A method for mounting components, comprising: via suction nozzlesmounted on a mounting head of a component mounting apparatus, suckingand holding components, respectively; then under control of driversprovided on a side of said mounting head, individually and independentlyturning said suction nozzles, respectively, thereby individually andindependently turning said components to placement posture angles,respectively; then recognizing postures of said components,respectively; then correcting postures of said components, respectively,based on recognition results corresponding to the recognized postures,respectively; and then placing said components onto a circuit-formingbody.
 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein individually andindependently turning said components to placement posture anglescomprises simultaneously individually and independently turning saidcomponents to said placement posture angles.
 3. The method according toclaim 1, wherein individually and independently turning said componentsto placement posture angles comprises individually and independentlyturning said components to said placement posture angles immediatelyafter sucking and holding said components via said suction nozzles. 4.Component suction devices for sucking components that are to be mountedonto a circuit-forming body, each of said component suction devicesbeing mounted on the same mounting head and comprising: a suction nozzlefor sucking and holding a component; a nozzle turning device for holdingsaid suction nozzle and turning said suction nozzle; a nozzleup-and-down device located above said nozzle turning device andconnected to said suction nozzle, for moving said suction nozzle up anddown along an axial direction of said suction nozzle; and a driver forrespectively controlling said nozzle turning device and said nozzleup-and-down device, wherein said suction nozzles of said componentsuction devices are independently controllable for recognition andcorrection of the components sucked and held thereby.
 5. The componentsuction devices according to claim 4, wherein said suction nozzles ofsaid component suction devices are linearly arranged along a directionthat is orthogonal to the axial direction of said suction nozzles. 6.The component suction devices according to claim 5, wherein said nozzleup-and-down device includes an up-and-down linear motor for moving saidnozzle turning device up and down along the axial direction of saidsuction nozzle, such that when said nozzle turning device is moved upand down by said up-and-down linear motor said suction nozzle is movedup and down along the axial direction of said suction nozzle.
 7. Thecomponent suction devices according to claim 6, wherein said up-and-downlinear motor comprises a magnetic-circuit forming member fixed to amechanism forming member, a coil that is movable up-and-down relative tosaid magnetic-circuit forming member, and a support member supportingsaid coil, with said nozzle turning device being fixed to said supportmember.
 8. A component mounting apparatus comprising: a mounting headhaving thereon component suction devices for sucking components that areto be mounted onto a circuit-forming body, each of said componentsuction devices including (i) a suction nozzle for sucking and holding acomponent, (ii) a nozzle turning device for holding said suction nozzleand turning said suction nozzle, (iii) a nozzle up-and-down device,located above said nozzle turning device and connected to said suctionnozzle, for moving said suction nozzle up and down along an axialdirection of said suction nozzle, and (iv) a driver for respectivelycontrolling said nozzle turning device and said nozzle up-and-downdevice, wherein said nozzle turning device of said each of saidcomponent suction devices is to be driven individually and independentlyof said nozzle turning device of each other of said component suctiondevices, and said nozzle up-and-down device of said each of saidcomponent suction devices is to be driven individually and independentlyof said nozzle up-and-down device of each other of said componentsuction devices.
 9. A component mounting apparatus comprising: amounting head having thereon component suction devices for suckingcomponents that are to be mounted onto a circuit-forming body, each ofsaid component suction devices including (i) a suction nozzle forsucking and holding a component, (ii) a nozzle turning device forholding said suction nozzle and turning said suction nozzle, (iii) anozzle up-and-down device, located above said nozzle turning device andconnected to said suction nozzle, for moving said suction nozzle up anddown along an axial direction of said suction nozzle, and (iv) a driverfor respectively controlling said nozzle turning device and said nozzleup-and-down device; and a main controller for controlling operation ofsaid driver of said each of said component suction devices so as tocontrol said nozzle turning device and said nozzle up-and-down device ofsaid each of said component suction devices such that controlled is (a)turning of a component, sucked and held by said suction nozzle of saideach of said component suction devices, to a placement posture angle ofthe component, (b) recognition of a posture of the component after thecomponent has been turned to the placement posture angle, (c) correctionof a posture of the component based on a result corresponding to therecognition of the posture of the component after the component has beenturned to the placement posture angle, and (d) mounting of the componentonto the circuit-forming body after the correction of the posture of thecomponent.
 10. The component mounting apparatus according to claim 9,wherein said main controller is for controlling operation of said driverof said each of said component suction devices so as to control saidnozzle turning device of said each of said component suction devicessuch that turning of the component, sucked and held by said suctionnozzle of said each of said component suction devices, to the placementposture angle of the component occurs simultaneously with turning ofeach component sucked and held by said suction nozzle of each other ofsaid component suction devices to the placement posture angle of thiseach component.
 11. The component mounting apparatus according to claim9, wherein said main controller is also for controlling operation ofsaid driver of said each of said component suction devices such that,after sucking and holding of the component by said suction nozzle ofsaid each of said component suction devices and before recognition ofthe posture of the component, said suction nozzle of said each of saidcomponent suction devices moves up or down such that a bottom face ofthe component is aligned with each component sucked and held by saidsuction nozzle of each other of said component suction devices.
 12. Acomponent mounting apparatus comprising: a mounting head having thereoncomponent suction devices for sucking components that are to be mountedonto a circuit-forming body, each of said component suction devicesincluding (i) a suction nozzle for sucking and holding a component, (ii)a nozzle turning device for holding said suction nozzle and turning saidsuction nozzle, (iii) a nozzle up-and-down device, located above saidnozzle turning device and connected to said suction nozzle, for movingsaid suction nozzle up and down along an axial direction of said suctionnozzle, and (iv) a driver for respectively controlling said nozzleturning device and said nozzle up-and-down device; and a main controllerfor controlling operation of said driver of said each of said componentsuction devices so as to control said nozzle turning device and saidnozzle up-and-down device of said each of said component suction devicessuch that controlled is (a) turning of a component, sucked and held bysaid suction nozzle of said each of said component suction devices, to aplacement posture angle of the component, simultaneously with turning ofeach component sucked and held by said suction nozzle of each other ofsaid component suction devices to a placement posture angle of this eachcomponent, (b) mounting of the component, sucked and held by saidsuction nozzle of said each of said component suction devices, afterthis component has been turned to its placement posture angle, and (c)mounting of each component, sucked and held by said suction nozzle ofsaid each other of said component suction devices, after this eachcomponent has been turned to its placement posture angle.
 13. Acomponent mounting apparatus comprising: a mounting head having thereoncomponent suction devices for sucking components that are to be mountedonto a circuit-forming body, each of said component suction devicesincluding (i) a suction nozzle for sucking and holding a component, (ii)a nozzle turning device for holding said suction nozzle and turning saidsuction nozzle, (iii) a nozzle up-and-down device, located above saidnozzle turning device and connected to said suction nozzle, for movingsaid suction nozzle up and down along an axial direction of said suctionnozzle, and (iv) a driver for respectively controlling said nozzleturning device and said nozzle up-and-down device; and a main controllerfor controlling operation of said driver of said each of said componentsuction devices so as to control said nozzle turning device and saidnozzle up-and-down device of said each of said component suction devicessuch that controlled is (a) immediately after sucking and holding acomponent by said suction nozzle of said each of said component suctiondevices, individual and independent operation of said driver of saideach of said component suction devices so as to control turning of thecomponent to a placement posture angle of the component, and (b) placingof the component onto the circuit-forming body after the component hasbeen turned to the placement posture angle.
 14. A component mountingapparatus comprising: a main body; a mounting head having thereoncomponent suction devices for sucking components that are to be mountedonto a circuit-forming body, each of said component suction devicesincluding (i) a suction nozzle for sucking and holding a component, (ii)a nozzle turning device for holding said suction nozzle and turning saidsuction nozzle, and (iii) a nozzle up-and-down device, located abovesaid nozzle turning device and connected to said suction nozzle, formoving said suction nozzle up and down along an axial direction of saidsuction nozzle; a main controller, on said main body, for controlling acomponent mounting operation; a head controller, on said mounting headand connected to said main controller, for performing one-to-oneasynchronous communications serially with said main controller inassociation with drive-control related information; and servo drivers,on said mounting head and connected to said head controller, forperforming one-to-multi synchronous communications serially with saidhead controller in association with the drive-control relatedinformation when obtained from said head controller so as torespectively drive and control said nozzle up-and-down device and saidnozzle turning device of said each of said component suction devices.15. The component mounting apparatus according to claim 14, wherein saidservo drivers have addresses different relative to one another, and thedrive-control related information includes (i) drive-amount informationcontaining the addresses of said servo drivers and informationpertaining to drive amounts for said nozzle turning device and saidnozzle up-and-down device of said each of said component suctiondevices, and (ii) an operation start signal to be communicated at a timeother than when the drive-amount information is communicated, such thatafter the drive-control related information has been received by aproperly addressed servo driver, said properly addressed servo driver,upon receiving the operation start signal, exerts control so that arespective said nozzle up-and-down device or a respective said nozzleturning device is driven based on the drive-amount information. 16.Component suction devices for sucking components that are to be mountedonto a circuit-forming body, each of said component suction devicesbeing mounted on the same mounting head and comprising: a drive shaftup-and-down movable and rotatable about an axis; a suction nozzle,fitted at a lower end of said drive shaft so as to be non-rotatable andup-and-down immovable relative to said drive shaft, for sucking andholding a component; a θ-turn driving motor, connected to an upperportion of said drive shaft so as to be non-rotatable and up-and-downmovable relative to said drive shaft, for rotating said drive shaftabout said axis; a first coupling section connected to said drive shaftso as to be up-and-down immovable and rotatable relative to said driveshaft; an up-and-down driver device for driving said first couplingsection up and down so as to drive said drive shaft up and down; and adriver for respectively controlling said θ-turn driving motor and saidup-and-down driver device, wherein said suction nozzles of saidcomponent suction devices are independently controllable for recognitionand correction of the components sucked and held thereby.
 17. Thecomponent suction devices according to claim 16, wherein said suctionnozzles of said component suction devices are linearly arranged along adirection that is orthogonal to the axis about which said drive shaft isrotatable.
 18. The component suction devices according to claim 17,wherein said up-and-down driver device comprises a linear motor.
 19. Thecomponent suction devices according to claim 17, wherein said θ-turndriving motor comprises a brushless motor.
 20. The component suctiondevices according to claim 17, further comprising: a suction controlvalve for controlling a suction operation of said suction nozzle. 21.The component suction devices according to claim 19, wherein saidbrushless motor comprises (i) a rotor supported so as to be rotatableabout a rotor axis, said rotor being magnetized so as to have pluralpoles about its periphery, and (ii) a stator having teeth with fore endportions opposed to an outer periphery of said rotor, and a coil woundaround tooth winding portions of said teeth so that said rotor rotatesalong with a rotating magnetic field of said stator, with each of saidfore end portions having a circular-arc surface extending along saidouter periphery of said rotor, and said tooth winding portions beingparallel to one another.
 22. The component suction devices according toclaim 21, wherein the circular-arc surfaces have a symmetrical slotpitch.
 23. The component suction devices according to claim 21, whereinsaid stator has a thickness along said rotor axis and a flat shape alongan end face of said rotor such that a first length interconnectingpoints of said stator corresponding to 0° and 180° about said rotor axisis shorter than a second length interconnecting points of said statorcorresponding to 90° and 270° about said rotor axis.
 24. The componentsuction devices according to claim 23, wherein said stator comprisesfirst and second stator blocks contacting each other at a boundaryconnection between points of said stator corresponding to 0° and 180°about said rotor axis.
 25. The component suction devices according toclaim 24, wherein each of said first and second stator blocks comprisesplural tooth blocks joined together so that a magnetic path is definedby base end portions of tooth winding portions of said plural toothblocks.
 26. The component suction devices according to claim 23, whereinsaid stator comprises a single stator block.
 27. The component suctiondevices according to claim 23, wherein said stator has grooves, servingas said tooth winding portions, formed thicknesswise in a side surfaceof said stator crossing a direction of said first length, with said coilbeing wound on said grooves such that an outermost peripheral surface ofsaid coil is positioned so as to be flush with said side surface orinward of said side surface.
 28. The component suction devices accordingto claim 18, wherein said linear motor comprises (i) frame coils insidea cylindrical outer yoke on a stationary side, (ii) an inner yoke havingteeth passing through said frame coils, and a magnetic communicatingportion at at least one end of said teeth and adjoining said teeth,(iii) magnets provided on both surfaces of each of said teeth, so thatfaces of one of said teeth opposed to one of said frame coils have asingle polarity, while faces of another of said teeth opposed to anotherof said frame coils have a different single polarity, such that when amagnetic flux is radiated from one of said magnets on said one of saidteeth the magnetic flux flows to said another of said teeth via saidouter yoke, passes through said magnetic communicating portion, andflows back to said one of said magnets through said one of said teeth,and such that when an electric current is supplied to said frame coils,a movable side composed of said magnets and said inner yoke moves in alongitudinal direction of said teeth.
 29. The component suction devicesaccording to claim 28, wherein said inner yoke is U-shaped.
 30. Thecomponent suction devices according to claim 28, wherein each of saidframe coils has an opening face having a rectangular shape such that alength of a side of said each of said frame coils opposite a respectiveone of said magnets is longer than a length of a span section of saideach of said frame coils.
 31. The component suction devices according toclaim 18, wherein said linear motor comprises (i) an inner yoke havingteeth and a magnetic communicating portion at at least one end of saidteeth and adjoining said teeth, (ii) an outer yoke which externallysurrounds said teeth, (iii) magnets provided inside said outer yoke andopposed to both faces of each of said teeth, so that faces of saidmagnets opposed to one of said teeth are of a single polarity and facesof said magnets opposed to another of said teeth are of a singledifferent polarity, and (iv) coils wound on said one of said teeth andsaid another of said teeth, respectively, such that when a magnetic fluxis radiated from one of said magnets opposed to said one of said teeththe magnetic flux flows to said another of said teeth via said outeryoke, passes through said magnetic communicating portion, and flows backto said one of said magnets through said one of said teeth, and suchthat when an electric current is supplied to said coils, a movable sidecomposed of said magnets and said outer yoke moves in a longitudinaldirection of said teeth.
 32. The component suction devices according toclaim 31, wherein each of said teeth has a rectangular shape such that alength of opposite sides of said each of said teeth, opposed torespective ones of said magnets, is longer than a length of a side ofsaid each of said teeth that interconnects said opposite sides of saideach of said teeth.
 33. The component suction devices according to claim17, wherein an array pitch of said up-and-down driver device of one ofsaid component suction devices and said up-and-down driver device ofanother of said component suction devices, and an array pitch of saidθ-turn driving motor of said one of said component suction devices andsaid θ-turn driving motor of said another of said component suctiondevices, are equal to an array pitch of said suction nozzle of said oneof said component suction devices and said suction nozzle of saidanother of said component suction devices and are to be equal to anarray pitch of component feed sections of a component feed device whichis to feed components that are to be sucked and held by said suctionnozzle of said one of said component suction devices and said suctionnozzle of said another of said component suction devices.